When The Sun Goes Down In Vegas
by forensicsfan
Summary: COMPLETE A murder happens during a costume party on Halloween. While investigating the team learns that two of our CSIs have a conflict that the refuse to discuss with anyone. NS
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer: Don't own them. Didn't create them. Don't profit from them. Etc.  
  
A/N: Thanks, Brianna, for reviewing my ideas and the works in progress. Thanks to everyone who reads and reviews my stories, maybe someday I'll write a real book.  
  
Halloween:  
  
It was an interesting idea for a Halloween Party. A Mafia murder mystery dinner set during Prohibition. The hostess, Brenda Sutton, a wealthy Las Vegas socialite, had spent several months putting the party together. Each guest had been instructed to dress up as a particular character. Those who were part of the play acting had rehearsed their parts so the evening would go along smoothly. She expected fifty guests and as each one arrived, they were in character and dressed to the nines.  
  
The party was in full swing when members of the cast began to be killed off. As part of the script, several would be killed off during the course of the evening and it was up to the remaining guests to figure out who the killer was.  
  
It was almost eleven o'clock when another member was shot. Only this time, Brenda Sutton reacted in horror. The bullets were real.  
  
The Investigation:  
  
Homicide Detective Jim Brass was standing outside the Sutton home when Gil Grissom and the rest of the night shift CSI crew pulled up in a pair of dark blue Denalis.  
  
As Grissom and Catherine Willows approached Brass, the gruff detective gestured toward the house with the small notebook he held in his hand. "One deceased, fifty eyewitnesses."  
  
Grissom glanced over at Catherine with his mouth slightly agape.  
  
She just shook her head and raised a palm. "Don't even say it, with that many people, we're all doing interviews. I don't care if you're not good with people."  
  
"Actually, Catherine, the uniforms have that covered." Brass responded. "Murder mystery dinner party, apparently, one of the guns was loaded with real bullets and no one knows who pulled the trigger."  
  
Grissom's eyebrows shot up. "Murder at a murder mystery party?"  
  
"My money's on the butler." Brass responded dryly.  
  
Warrick Brown sauntered up to get in on the briefing.  
  
Grissom glanced around and raised an eyebrow. "Where are Nick and Sara?"  
  
Warrick gestured toward the second Denali where Nick Stokes and Sara Sidle appeared to having a somewhat heated discussion.  
  
Grissom turned back toward Warrick. "What's going on?" He gestured toward the pair of younger CSIs.  
  
Warrick shrugged. "Not really sure, but they've been arguing since we left the lab."  
  
Catherine looked curious. "What about?"  
  
Warrick shook his head. "Your guess is as good as mine."  
  
Grissom looked annoyed. "Tell them to get over here; we have a crime scene to process."  
  
Warrick nodded and headed back over to where Nick and Sara stood.  
  
Sara had an exasperated expression on her face. "Nick, we have a crime scene to process, I don't want to talk about this right now."  
  
Nick just shook his head in disbelief. "That because you don't want to talk about it all, isn't it? C'mon, Sara, you're going to have to talk about this sometime."  
  
Sara glared at Nick as Warrick walked up.  
  
Warrick cleared his throat. "I don't want to interrupt this Kodak moment, but we have a crime scene to process and Grissom's starting to get a little annoyed."  
  
Sara glanced at Warrick before shooting Nick another glare. "He's not the only one." She stormed off toward Grissom and Catherine.  
  
Warrick looked at Nick with a curious expression. "What did you do to piss her off so much?"  
  
Nick glared at Warrick. "What makes you think that I did something?"  
  
"Because she's pissed off at you." Warrick replied a bit amused.  
  
Nick just shook his head and walked over to join the rest of the team without saying another word.  
  
The team had been processing the Sutton home for several hours. The uniformed officers had interviewed all the guests and had cleared most of them. Only a few remained to be taken down to the station for further questioning. So many people had tracked through the house during the course of the party that lifting shoe prints was useless. The killer had been in costume, just as the rest of guests had, but no one seemed to remember who it was. Physical descriptions ranged from a blond woman in a flapper costume to a man in a pin striped double breasted suit wearing spats. All that served to do was identify who was in the closest proximity of the gun when it went off.  
  
As they packed up the evidence they had gathered, it was apparent that Nick and Sara were still angry.  
  
Grissom had been observing the young CSIs while they'd processed the crime scene. He approached Catherine. "Cath, can you take this back to the lab?"  
  
She nodded her head. "Sure."  
  
"Take Nick and Warrick with you." Grissom added, knowing that Catherine had a way of getting Nick to talk.  
  
Nick glanced over at Sara for a moment. She was doing her best to ignore him. Nick helped Catherine and Warrick put the evidence in one of the Denalis before they climbed in and headed back to the lab.  
  
Grissom studied Sara for a moment before speaking. "Sara, I think we're done here, let's head back to the lab."  
  
She stood up without a word and headed to Grissom's Denali.  
  
As they climbed in, Grissom glanced over at her. "Sara, what's going on with you and Nick?"  
  
She shot him a glare. "Nothing."  
  
Grissom restrained a smile. "Then why are you both so angry?"  
  
Sara leveled her gaze at Grissom. "Look, I don't want to talk about it. I did a damn fine job tonight, so if you don't mind, let's drop it."  
  
Grissom wordlessly drove back to the lab. He parked the Denali and climbed out, heading into the building in search of Nick.  
  
Sara slowly followed, her face set in a scowl. Even Greg Sanders dressed up as Elvis for Halloween couldn't make her smile tonight.  
  
Warrick was trying to get Nick to tell him what was going on with Sara that had left them both so angry.  
  
"Look, I'm not going to discuss this with you, man." Nick was even angrier than he was before. Even Catherine had not been able to get him to talk about what was going on.  
  
Grissom walked into the locker room after hearing the commotion in the hallway. Warrick and Nick glared at each other. Grissom raised an eyebrow and looked at Nick over the rim of his glasses. "Nick, my office, now."  
  
Nick clenched his jaw and made his way to Grissom's office. He saw Sara walk into the building as he turned into the office and sat down in the chair across from Grissom's desk.  
  
She glared at him as she passed by and headed toward the break room.  
  
Grissom came into his office and shut the door. He studied Nick for a moment. "Nick, what's going on?"  
  
Nick glanced up at the night shift supervisor. "I really don't want to talk about it."  
  
Grissom let out a deep breath. "Ok, but whether you and Sara realize it, whatever is going on is affecting the rest of the team. I want you to take the rest of the night off and go home and cool down."  
  
Nick glanced up at Grissom with a flash of hurt in his eyes. He muttered a curse word under his breath before he pulled himself up from the chair and headed to the locker room to stow his gear and get his jacket. He left the lab with a black cloud over his head.  
  
Grissom headed down the hallway toward the break room where Sara had poured herself a cup of coffee. Grissom raised an eyebrow. "Sara, I want you to take the rest of the night off."  
  
She glanced up and a defensive expression crossed her face and her voice had an edge to it. "What the hell for?"  
  
Grissom had a firm tone in his voice. "That wasn't a suggestion."  
  
Sara angrily poured her coffee out and tossed the paper cup in the garbage before turning and storming out of the building, climbing into her vehicle, and heading toward her apartment.  
  
Catherine stood at the entrance to the break room. "I see you did about as well as I did."  
  
"And you're good with people." Grissom looked at her with a perplexed expression on his face. "What in the world is going on with the two of them?"  
  
"I guess we'll just have to wait and see." Catherine responded wryly. 


	2. Empty

"Greg, what is this?" Grissom took in Greg's appearance with a quizzical expression. "Elvis." Greg smiled and then with a swagger in his step and a lower voice he crooned. "Won't you be my teddy bear?"  
  
Grissom rolled his eyes. "The DNA samples, Greg. Halloween or not, I still need the DNA processed."  
  
Greg stood up straight and saluted Grissom. "Right away boss."  
  
Grissom headed back into the hallway in search of Warrick and Catherine. He found them in a layout room pouring over the photos that had been taken at the scene.  
  
Warrick glanced up as Grissom entered. "We're just putting together a seating chart of sorts."  
  
Catherine smiled. "A standing chart really."  
  
Grissom joined them as they discussed those closest to where the killer had stood when they had fired the fatal shot.  
  
Brass interrupted their conversation. "Got an ID on the vic."  
  
All three CSIs turned their attention to Brass.  
  
"Calvin Jackson, age 47. I'm doing a background check as we speak. See if we can find anyone with a motive to kill Mr. Jackson." Brass turned and headed back out the door and the CSIs turned their attention back to the photos.  
  
"Wouldn't want to go out like that; one minute you're at a party thinking that you're playing a part, and the next you're standing at the pearly gates." Warrick commented as he continued to put the collage together based on interviews with witnesses.  
  
Catherine looked over at Grissom with a serious expression on her face before glancing at Warrick. "So, not to completely change the subject."  
  
"Why do I get the feeling that you're changing the subject?" Grissom mouth turned up in a half smile.  
  
She chuckled softly. "Because I am." Her expression became serious once again. "What in the hell is going on with Nick and Sara? I don't think I've ever seen either of them that visibly angry at work."  
  
Grissom and Warrick both raised an eyebrow as they glanced at each other and then at her.  
  
Catherine smile wryly. "Ok, let me qualify that. I've never seen either of them that angry at another member of the team, except maybe you, Gil." There was a glint in her eye.  
  
Warrick laughed even as Grissom shot him a look. "Hey, Gris, she's right."  
  
Catherine continued. "Either we are going to have to keep them from working cases together or we're going to have to make them get over whatever this is."  
  
Warrick started to laugh again. "Yeah, like you're going to make Sara do anything she doesn't want to. You'll have better luck with Nick."  
  
Grissom just shook his head. "Can we get back to the case? If you haven't noticed, we're a couple of CSIs short."  
  
"Well if you hadn't sent them home, we wouldn't be." Warrick responded wryly.  
  
"Warrick, the case." Grissom's voice was firm. He turned and headed back out into the hallway to see if ballistics had gotten anything from the bullet that Doc Robbins had pulled from the vic and wondered about what had gotten Nick and Sara so worked up.  
  
Sara's Apartment:  
  
Sara sat in the dark in her apartment on the couch hugging a pillow, tears running down her cheeks. She didn't know what to do. The last thing she wanted to do right now was call Nick. She thought for a moment about calling Warrick or Catherine, but she really didn't want them to know what was going on. Besides, she figured that they would just take Nick's side.  
  
Nick's House:  
  
Nick sat in front of the TV not paying much attention to what was playing on The Discovery Channel. He sipped a beer and wondered about Sara. She could be so damn stubborn. Why she wouldn't talk about it just pissed him off. And he was too much of a loyal friend to tell any of the other members of the team what was going on. She'd kill him if he ever did, of that he was certain. She had made him promise. He glanced at the clock. He knew she couldn't be doing too well right now. He had a feeling that Grissom had sent her home right after he'd sent him home. He swore under his breath and closed his eyes as he laid his head back against the couch.  
  
Sara's Apartment:  
  
She hated having a night off. She would much rather be awake when the sun went down in Vegas. All the things that they dealt with day in and day out were easier to take when you dealt with them clinically in the context of work.  
  
The Lab:  
  
The ballistics report hadn't turned up anything in the database. They had identified the murder weapon as a 9mm, most likely a Glock or Beretta, but still hadn't located it.  
  
They didn't have any obvious suspects and after comparing the guest list with the police reports interviews, all of the guests had been identified. None of them seemed a likely suspect, but they couldn't rule any of them out really either. Time had shown them that evidence can lead you to the oddest places, but right now they didn't have a lot of evidence to go on and it was looking more and more likely that the killer had not been an invited guest at the party.  
  
Grissom had begun to look into any caterers or any other businesses that Brenda Sutton might have used when planning her party and look for any connection to the vic. So far there was nothing glaringly obvious. Grissom wrinkled his brow as he looked over what they had compiled. He glanced up as Catherine stood in the doorway to his office.  
  
She smiled. "Gil, shifts over, you need to get out of here and get some rest. There will be plenty more crime tonight."  
  
He gave her a weak smile. "I'm at a dead end anyway. Sorry you missed out on Lindsey trick or treating."  
  
She shrugged her shoulders. "She went to a party at my sister's. I know that Halloween is a bad night in this business. I got to help her put her costume together."  
  
"See you tonight then." Grissom turned back to his file and closed it as Catherine turned and walked out the door.  
  
Warrick was coming out of the locker room as Catherine walked past. "Getting out of Dodge?"  
  
She nodded. "I've had my dose of crime for one day. See you tonight, War."  
  
Warrick waved as they parted ways in the parking lot.  
  
Nick's House:  
  
Nick had fallen asleep on the couch with the TV going. He woke as the sun was coming up. He turned the TV off and drug himself off the couch and into his bedroom where he changed out of his clothes into a pair of pajama pants and a T-shirt and crawled into bed, falling asleep again in a matter of minutes.  
  
Sara's Apartment:  
  
Sara's tears had stopped and now that the sun was coming up, she pulled herself off the couch and wandered into her room and crawled on top of her bed fully clothed and curled into a ball, falling into a restless sleep. 


	3. Worry

Nick heard a loud knocking at his door. He pulled himself out of bed and made his way to the front door. He opened it, not surprised at who stood there with tears running down her face. He simply pulled her into a hug and closed the door. "Shhh, Sar, it's gonna be ok. C'mon, let's get some sleep." He led her back to his bedroom and allowed her to curl up into the security of his embrace as he made soothing noises. She leaned back against him and fell asleep within minutes.  
  
The Lab:  
  
They didn't have any more to go on than they did the night before on the murder mystery dinner murder. It was a fairly slow night and Warrick and Catherine continued working on the photo collage. Nick was working in Trace trying to see if any of the hair or fibers that they collected had any unusual characteristics or seemed out of place. Not that out of place would be unusual in a circumstance like this. With fifty guests, there would be a lot of transient fibers. So far his analysis hadn't turned up anything significant.  
  
Sara sat in the DNA lab with Greg waiting for the results from some of the samples that had been taken the night before.  
  
Greg grinned at her, hoping to see a smile break across her face. "You should have seen my Elvis last night, Sara. It was hot!"  
  
Sara glanced at him and barely registered what he said. "Uh, I'm sorry, what was that?"  
  
Greg wrinkled his brow. "You doing ok, Sar? You seem kinda quiet."  
  
Sara broke herself out of her reverie. "Yeah, I'm fine. I just need some coffee that's all."  
  
"I just made some of my special Blue Hawaiian blend; you might still find some in the pot if you hurry." Greg wasn't sure he was buying Sara's story, but he wasn't going to push either.  
  
"Thanks, Greg." Sara mumbled as she pulled herself off the stool and headed toward the break room. She had just poured herself a cup when Grissom walked in.  
  
He looked at her over the rim of his glasses. "Sara, did you get enough sleep? You look tired."  
  
She glanced up at him and shook her head. "I'm fine. Just needed some coffee." She sipped the coffee and averted her gaze from Grissom.  
  
Grissom looked at her with an unconvinced expression. "If you want to talk, I'll be in my office."  
  
She rolled her eyes. "I'm fine." She set the coffee down and walked out into the hall. Suddenly, she just wanted to be alone. The only place she knew where she could pretty much guarantee that was the roof. That was something Nick had shown her. He'd go up there when he needed to focus or needed some fresh air and wanted to be alone. She climbed the stairs and walked over to the railing and just stared out at the night sky which was illuminated by the lights from the Strip.  
  
Grissom's Office:  
  
Grissom sat at his desk reviewing a file when Nick stopped in the doorway. "You need something, Nick?"  
  
Nick let out a deep breath. "I'm sorry about last night, Gris. I lost my cool and I let it interfere with my job."  
  
Grissom gestured toward him to come in and close the door.  
  
Nick sat down expecting to get chewed out. He rested his elbows on his knees and laced his fingers together waiting to hear Grissom's response.  
  
Grissom let out a deep breath and removed his glasses for a moment, rubbing his temples. "Nick, I don't know what's going on with you and Sara and it's obvious that neither one of you is willing to tell anyone else on the team what is going on, but you need to keep whatever it is out of the lab and out of crime scenes."  
  
Nick nodded. He had expected Grissom to say a lot more.  
  
Grissom put his glasses back on and looked at Nick over the rim. "Just work out whatever it is soon."  
  
Nick stood up and moved toward the door. "Thanks, Gris."  
  
Grissom just gave him a half smile and waved him toward the door.  
  
The Layout Room:  
  
Warrick and Catherine stopped what they were doing; both of them had the same expression.  
  
"You see that, don't you?" Catherine queried Warrick.  
  
He nodded. "Yeah, let's get Gris."  
  
The pair headed down the hall to Grissom's office to tell him what they had found.  
  
The Roof:  
  
Nick didn't expect to find Sara on the roof. He only wanted to be alone for a few minutes; to have some time to think.  
  
She turned around as she heard footsteps approach. As she looked up her expression was guarded. "Hey."  
  
"Hey, yourself." Nick stood next to her by the railing. He glanced over at her, worry etched on his face. "You look tired, Sara."  
  
She let out a deep breath. "Nick, please don't start." She was trying to control the emotion in her voice.  
  
He studied the sky and measured his words. "Sara, you can't keep showing up at my house because you can't sleep."  
  
Sara looked at him as if his words had stung her. "Fine."  
  
He turned to face her, his voice soft. "Sara, you know what I mean." He reached out and touched her arm. "I'm not going to turn you away, but it's not going to go away by itself, you need to do something about it."  
  
She pulled her arm away and looked at him defensively. "I can handle it, Nick."  
  
He raised an eyebrow in response. "I don't believe you, Sara. Unless you just want to sleep with me."  
  
She rolled her eyes and a faint smile tugged at her mouth.  
  
"Hey, I got you to smile." He smiled softly at her.  
  
"I just need to think about it, ok." Her eyes pleaded with him.  
  
He pulled her into a hug. "I'm just worried about you."  
  
"I know." Sara replied as she pulled away. "Hey, we need to get back to work." She wiped away tears that threatened to form.  
  
"I'm gonna stay up here a little while longer." He smiled at her as she nodded and then turned to walk away.  
  
The Layout Room:  
  
When Sara walked down the hall, she noticed Grissom, Warrick, and Catherine talking over the photos in very excited manner. She walked into the layout room. "Got a lead?"  
  
They looked up at her and nodded. "Yeah, we're just waiting for Brass." Warrick studied her and noticed that she looked somewhat more relaxed, but still exhausted.  
  
Grissom looked at her quizzically. "Did Greg finish the DNA tests yet?"  
  
"I'll go check on that." Sara turned and headed back down the hall toward the DNA lab.  
  
The Roof:  
  
Nick stood looking out at the sky. He was worried about Sara. He knew that she needed to tackle this head on, but only she could make that decision, he could tell her until he was blue in the face, but she had to want to talk about it. He let out a deep breath and shook his head and chuckled as a thought crossed his mind. Maybe he would give her a key, it sure would beat getting woken up when he was sleeping, but then it also wouldn't help her deal with this either. Maybe he'd just get a hide-a-key. In any case, he needed coffee. After Sara had fallen asleep next to him, he'd stayed awake worrying about her. He was exhausted. 


	4. A Hunch

Nick was looking into a high powered microscope in the trace materials lab when Warrick walked in. "Nick, you got anything?" Nick glanced up. "Well I found cat hair, but who doesn't have a pet?"  
  
Warrick wrinkled his brow. "Brenda Sutton for one."  
  
Nick tilted his head slightly. "Still, it doesn't really tell us anything. None of the other fibers seem out of place."  
  
"Thanks, man." Warrick wrinkled his brow and headed back to the layout room. What he, Catherine, and Grissom had thought was a lead had ended up being a dead end. They were essentially back to where they started and now it was time to start thinking outside the box. Warrick walked into the layout room. "Hey, I'm going to go back and talk to Brenda Sutton."  
  
Grissom glanced up curiously.  
  
"Call it a hunch." Warrick replied to Grissom's silent question.  
  
Grissom nodded and then added as he looked over his glasses. "Take Sara."  
  
Warrick nodded and headed out of the layout room in search of Sara. He found her on the break room couch asleep, a troubled expression was on her face. Concern etched Warrick's face as he gently touched her shoulder.  
  
Startled, Sara woke up with a start and screamed, recoiling in fright. She was breathing heavily and wrapped her arms around her body as she glanced up at Warrick. Her eyes narrowed. "Dammit, Warrick, you scared the crap out of me!"  
  
Nick happened to walk by as Warrick woke her up. Anger clouded his face for a moment before he entered the break room. He glanced at Sara who looked up at him with a pleading expression. His face softened and he nodded.  
  
"Girl, what is going on?" Warrick looked confused and concerned.  
  
Sara stood up. "I'm fine, I'm just a little tired and I must have stayed up too late watching TV."  
  
Warrick wasn't sure he was buying her story, but he let it slide. "Grissom wants you to come with me to talk to Brenda Sutton."  
  
"I'll just get my coat." She glanced at Nick as she walked past him. He had concern on his face and she just glanced away as she walked out the door toward the locker room.  
  
Warrick studied Nick for a moment. "Are you going to tell me what's going on? She jumped out of her skin when I touched her shoulder to wake her up."  
  
Nick let out a deep breath and shook his head. "I'm not going to talk about it, man. Sorry." He turned and walked back out of the break room and headed toward the locker room in search of Sara.  
  
She turned toward him as he walked in. "You didn't say anything did you?" Her expression was worried.  
  
He shook his head. "I promised I wouldn't, and I haven't." He walked over to her and put his hands on her shoulders, looking into her eyes. "I'm worried about you."  
  
Sara let out a deep breath and looked away. "Nick, I just have to deal with it." She wouldn't meet his gaze.  
  
He lifted her chin with his fingers. "Sara, trust me, you need to talk about it."  
  
She closed her eyes. "Warrick's waiting. I have to go."  
  
Nick squeezed her shoulder. "Come over after shift. You're going to end up there anyway, this way I can get some sleep."  
  
She glanced up at him with a curious expression and noticed that there was a hint of teasing in his eyes. She smiled.  
  
He chuckled. "See, I made you smile again." He let out a deep breath. "Seriously though, Sara, come over."  
  
She just nodded. "I have to go meet Warrick." She headed out of the locker room in search of Warrick.  
  
Nick stood there and leaned against the bay of lockers with his hands resting on his hips. Neither he nor Sara had noticed that Catherine had been standing on the other side of the lockers.  
  
She decided to make her presence known to Nick and cleared her throat.  
  
Nick glanced up and finally noticed her. "How long have you been standing there?"  
  
"Long enough." Catherine stepped toward Nick a concerned inquisitive expression on her face. "Are you and Sara sleeping together?"  
  
Nick closed his eyes and shook his head, a faint smile playing at his lips. "Cath, I can't tell you what is going on, but no, Sara and I are not sleeping together the way that you're implying."  
  
Catherine raised a single eyebrow. "But she is sleeping at your house."  
  
"Catherine, I can't say anything, I promised her." Nick answered trying to be evasive and firm at the same time.  
  
"Ok, but let me know if I can do anything." Catherine had a look of compassion on her face.  
  
Nick nodded. "I will." His expression made if evident that his heart was heavy.  
  
Catherine walked over and gave him a hug. "You're a good friend, Nicky."  
  
Nick smiled. "Thanks."  
  
In the Denali:  
  
"So what's your hunch?" Sara glanced over at Warrick curiously.  
  
He glanced over at her as he drove. "That you're not telling me what's going on with you and Nick."  
  
Sara shot him a glare. "Drop it, Warrick. I meant about Brenda Sutton and you know it."  
  
Warrick let out a deep breath, his expression was serious. "Sara, I've woken you up from a nap on the couch before. You've never reacted like that before. I don't believe that you just didn't have enough sleep. I'm worried about you. What's going on? Did Nick do something? Do you want me to beat him up for you?" There was a hint of smile on his face as he asked the last question.  
  
She tried to suppress an amused smile through her annoyance. "Nick didn't do anything, ok. I'm fine. Just drop it."  
  
Warrick glanced at her again. "I'm not dropping, but I will set it aside for now."  
  
They had just pulled up in front of the where Brenda Sutton was staying during the investigation. She was expecting them and ushered them into the living room. Warrick asked her a series of questions and then he and Sara headed back to the lab.  
  
Sara was thankful Warrick didn't ask her any more questions about what was going on during the drive back.  
  
The Locker Room:  
  
Nick was stowing his gear getting ready to go home when Warrick and Sara walked into the locker room. He glanced up and smiled at Sara.  
  
She gave him a soft smile in return.  
  
Warrick noticed the interaction between the two, but didn't say anything. He quickly stowed his gear and headed to the door. "See you guys tonight."  
  
Nick glanced up at Warrick. "Bye." He pulled his jacket on and closed his locker.  
  
"Nick?" Sara's voice was tentative and she had a vulnerable expression on her face.  
  
He looked at her and his faced softened. "Yeah?"  
  
She glanced away for a moment. "Uh, can I really come over?" She seemed almost afraid of what he would say.  
  
He nodded with a soft chuckle and pulled her into a hug. "Yeah, you can." He held her for a moment before releasing her. "Do you want to meet me there or just come with me?"  
  
Sara looked scared. "Can I come with you?"  
  
He nodded and the pair walked out to his Denali and headed to his house. Sara was asleep in the passenger seat by the time he pulled into his driveway. 


	5. Confessions

"Grissom, can I talk to you for a minute?" Warrick stood in the doorway of Grissom's office. He had just left Nick and Sara in the locker room. Grissom looked up over the rim of his glasses and gestured to Warrick to sit down.  
  
Warrick closed the door behind him and sat down. "It's Sara." He began to relay to Grissom what had happened when he'd woken Sara up in the break room. "I'm worried."  
  
Grissom let out a deep breath and considered his words carefully. "What does Nick say?"  
  
Warrick leaned further back in the chair. "That's just it. He won't say a word. It's like he's made some pact with Sara to keep silent. My gut tells me that something is wrong, but neither one of them are talking and honestly, they both look like they're not getting enough sleep."  
  
Grissom just nodded. "I'm not sure what we can do."  
  
Warrick just nodded in agreement.  
  
Nick's House:  
  
"Sara, are you ok?" Nick was clearly worried.  
  
Sara looked at him with a pained expression on her face. "Nick, I don't know what to do. It's just getting worse. I just keep seeing her lying there every time I close my eyes. If we had just arrested the bastard for raping her, she'd still be alive. She was just a girl."  
  
"Sar, it's not your fault. You can't blame yourself." Nick sat down next to her on the couch and pulled her into a hug.  
  
"I'm sorry I keep coming over here. I just don't seem to be able to sleep without having nightmares." She laid her head against his shoulder as a tear rolled down her cheek.  
  
Nick let out a deep breath. "Sara, can I ask you something?"  
  
She nodded. "Yeah."  
  
"Why did this case get to you so much? I know we see horrible things everyday, but most of the time you just do the job, this just seemed a lot more personal." Nick measured his words carefully.  
  
Sara took some time to answer him. "I'm a woman."  
  
Nick considered her statement, knowing that there was probably a lot more she wasn't telling him.  
  
Sara pushed away from him, not looking him directly in the eye. "Hey, do you have something I can sleep in?"  
  
He nodded and stood up. "Yeah, I'll get you something." He returned a few minutes later wearing a pair of pajama pants and a T-shirt. He held out a pair of drawstring sweat pants and a T-shirt for Sara. "Here."  
  
She took them and stood up. "Thanks. I'm just gonna go change." She headed into the bathroom and closed the door.  
  
Nick sat down on the couch suddenly very tired. He rested his head in his hands and let out a deep breath as he considered telling Sara his darkest secret. For some reason he thought if he did, she might tell him what was really going on. Ever since a teenage girl had been raped during a home robbery a few weeks ago and then murdered because she was too afraid to identify her attacker in a line up, Sara had been having nightmares. After that shift, she was so upset; she'd called Nick because she couldn't sleep. Nick had suggested that she come over so they could talk and she'd ended up curled up against him on the couch. After that, she seemed to come over every day several hours after Nick had already gone to sleep wanting to be in the one place she felt safe, sleeping next to him.  
  
He really wasn't sure what to do. He had a feeling that it was more than just the case that was bothering her, but she wouldn't talk about it, and it was really beginning to frustrate him in more ways than one. For starters, she was a beautiful woman. Having her sleep next to him was getting more and more difficult. He'd always found her attractive, and with her clinging to him like this, it was difficult not to act on it.  
  
The bathroom door opened and Sara emerged. She noticed Nick's serious face and raised an eyebrow. "You ok, Nick?"  
  
He looked up at her and before his resolve could falter, he spoke. "I need to tell you something and then I think we need to get some sleep."  
  
Sara studied Nick's face as she sat on the couch next to him. "What is it?"  
  
He let out a deep breath. "Sara, you know how some cases get to you more than others?"  
  
She nodded.  
  
"Well, sometimes it's just because it's so horrible and other times because it's so personal." He furrowed his brow and reached for her hand as they sat there. "Do you remember that case that Catherine and I worked on where that boy was smothered during a therapy session?"  
  
She nodded. "Didn't the therapist and the mother both get charged?"  
  
He nodded. "Yeah, they did." He studied her for a moment before continuing. "What you don't know is that Catherine almost pulled me off that case."  
  
Sara looked shocked. "Why would she do that?"  
  
Nick closed his eyes for a moment before continuing. "Because I thought the boy had been sexually assaulted by the therapist and I wouldn't let it go."  
  
"But the evidence told you something else, she wasn't charged with that." She replied matter of factly.  
  
Nick squeezed Sara's hand and tears threatened to spill from his eyes. "Sara, what you don't know is, when I was nine years old, I was sexually assaulted by a last minute babysitter." His voice was almost a whisper.  
  
An expression of sadness and pain crossed Sara's face and tears began to form in her eyes. "Oh, Nick, I am so sorry." She reached for him and pulled him into a hug; they both began to cry as they held each other.  
  
Catherine's House:  
  
"Willows." Catherine answered her cell phone which she had kept next to her bed. She was just about to get up and get ready for shift.  
  
"Catherine, its Warrick. I think I may have something in this case." Warrick had woken up in the middle of the day with an idea that he just couldn't get out of his mind, so he'd gotten up and gone into the lab. He'd been pouring over the police reports and the interviews with the guests and began to see some odd things emerging.  
  
"I'll be there as soon as I drop off Lindsey." Catherine hung up the phone and got out of bed to take a quick shower before dropping Lindsey off at her sister's house for the night. She hoped that Warrick was right; they needed a break in this case.  
  
Nick's House:  
  
Nick and Sara had fallen asleep on the couch tangled in each other's arms. Sara was the first to wake up and as she glanced up at the clock in Nick's living room, she noticed that they were already late for work. "Nick."  
  
Nick's eyes fluttered open. "What time is it?"  
  
"We're late." Sara answered disentangling herself from him before heading into the bathroom to change into her own clothes.  
  
Nick swore under his breath and slowly pulled himself off the couch and headed to his bedroom to get changed. 


	6. Late

Warrick and Catherine leaned over the layout table. Warrick's hunch was far fetched, but stranger things had ended up being pivotal pieces of evidence in cases in the past and at the moment they had nothing else to go on.  
  
Grissom stopped in the doorway. "Anything?"  
  
Warrick glanced up and nodded. "Yeah, none of the guests at Brenda Sutton's party owned a cat, especially not a white cat."  
  
Grissom raised a curious eyebrow. "Warrick, do you mind telling me where you're going with this?"  
  
Warrick flashed him a grin. "Give me a little while longer and I think I may be able to give you something a little more concrete."  
  
Catherine glanced up at Grissom with a slightly amused expression. "Not all CSIs are just like you, Gil."  
  
Grissom flashed her a half smile and then wrinkled his brow momentarily. "Have either of you seen Nick or Sara?"  
  
Warrick and Catherine glanced at each other curiously before looking over at Grissom again. Warrick looked a little confused. "I thought Sara was already here, her Denali is in the parking lot."  
  
Grissom looked momentarily worried.  
  
Catherine stood up straight. "Uh, I have a feeling she's with Nick."  
  
Grissom and Warrick both looked at her as if asking for a further explanation.  
  
She shook her head. "It's not what you think, at least it's not what I think you think."  
  
"Well?" Grissom queried.  
  
She glanced between the two CSIs who just stood there waiting for information. "Apparently, Sara's been sleeping at Nick's. I'm not sure why, Nick wouldn't tell me, but I overheard a conversation between them in the locker room, and he was worried about her. From the sound of things, she's been coming over there for a while."  
  
Warrick's mouth hung agape and he glanced at Grissom. "The way she reacted when I woke her up on the couch last night."  
  
Grissom nodded. "I think it's time to talk to Nick and Sara." He glanced at the clock, shift had begun thirty minutes prior. "If you see them before I do, send them to my office."  
  
Catherine glanced at Warrick with an arched brow. "What happened when you woke her up?"  
  
Warrick had concern etched on his face. "She screamed and acted like I'd just attacked her. She played it off that I'd just scared her and that she hadn't had enough sleep."  
  
Catherine furrowed her brow. "She needs to talk to someone."  
  
Warrick nodded. "Yeah, and soon."  
  
In the Parking Lot:  
  
Nick pulled his Denali into the parking lot and set the parking brake before turning off the ignition. "We're almost an hour late, Sara."  
  
She looked over at him with a worried expression on her face. "Think anyone will notice?"  
  
He chuckled softly, "Well the fact that neither of our cell phones have gone off is a mark in our favor, but I wouldn't count on it."  
  
A look of fear crossed Sara's face. "I have a feeling we're in for a bit of an interrogation."  
  
Nick reached over and touched her arm. "Hey, whatever you need, I'm there for you."  
  
A faint smile played at her lips. "I know. You're a good friend. I don't deserve that from you."  
  
He squeezed her elbow. "No, you do deserve that." He gave her a warm smile before climbing out of the vehicle.  
  
They made their way into the lab and were almost to the locker room when Grissom walked into the hallway and saw them. "Nick. Sara. My office." Grissom turned on his heals and headed into his office.  
  
They glanced at each other and Nick reached over and squeezed Sara's shoulder to offer her support before they entered Grissom's office.  
  
Grissom peered at them over the rim of his glasses and gestured for them to close the door and sit down.  
  
Nick closed the door and they both sat in chairs opposite Grissom's desk.  
  
Grissom let out a deep breath and took off his glasses before he spoke. "I know that you both know that you're almost an hour late. But that's not why I want to talk to you. You both have enough overtime logged to more than cover it."  
  
"What is it, Gris." Nick queried their boss, hoping that perhaps he wouldn't ask exactly what he knew he was going to ask.  
  
Grissom looked directly at Nick before turning his attention to Sara for a moment.  
  
Sara tried to hide the fear that welled up in the pit of her stomach.  
  
Grissom replaced his glasses. "I know that neither one of you wants to talk about whatever is going on, but it's affecting the rest of the team, and it's obviously affecting your ability to get to work on time."  
  
"We both overslept." Sara offered in explanation.  
  
Grissom narrowed his gaze softly at Sara. "Sara, I know you were with Nick, and before you tell me that your personal life is none of my business, let me just say that normally I'd say you're right. If it was just that I thought that maybe you and Nick were dating, I wouldn't be worried. What worries me is that I heard you almost took Warrick's head off last night just for waking you up in the break room. I'm worried because I understand you've been sleeping at Nick's for weeks because you can't get to sleep at your own house."  
  
Sara glanced at Nick with an expression of hurt on her face.  
  
His voice was a whisper as he looked at her with concern. "I swear, Sara, I didn't say a word."  
  
Grissom glanced over at Nick. His expression was a bit harder and there was an edge to his voice. "Maybe you should have, Nick."  
  
Nick looked a bit shocked.  
  
"Don't blame Nick, Grissom, I made him promise not to say anything." Sara looked at him with a pleading expression.  
  
Grissom looked truly concerned. "Sara, what is going on?"  
  
Sara looked down at her lap and took a deep breath before she glanced back up at Grissom. "I'm having nightmares."  
  
Nick reached over and squeezed her arm.  
  
She glanced at him for a moment before continuing. "After that girl was murdered because she was too afraid to identify the bastard that raped her in that line up, I just can't get the image of her lying there out of my mind and it just gets worse when I close my eyes."  
  
"Sara, perhaps you should talk to the department psychologist." Grissom knew he wasn't good with people, and he hoped that it didn't sound like he wanted to pass her off to someone, but he really felt that she needed help.  
  
Sara shot him a glare. "I am not talking to a shrink."  
  
Nick squeezed her arm, concern etched on his face. "Maybe you should, Sar."  
  
Disbelief crossed her face and tears threatened to spill as she jumped up from her chair. "No." She turned and rushed out of Grissom's office and headed down the hallway.  
  
Nick remained seated as he watched her go, fairly certain he knew where she was headed. He turned back toward Grissom who wore an expression of confusion.  
  
Grissom met Nick's gaze. "What is going on, Nicky?"  
  
Nick shook his head as he closed his eyes for a moment. "That's about as much as I've gotten out of her in three weeks." He let out a deep breath and then looked back up at Grissom. "I have a pretty good idea though of what I think is going on."  
  
Grissom looked at him curiously.  
  
Nick explained what he had observed and explained why he thought what he did.  
  
Grissom's expression went from shocked to worried and then filled with compassion as Nick talked. When Nick was finally finished, Grissom let out a deep breath and nodded. "You may be right, Nicky, you may be right." 


	7. Revelations

Sara stood on the roof and looked out at the Vegas skyline. She felt like her world was spinning out of control. The secret that she had so carefully guarded for so long, seemed to be screaming for release and she was too afraid to open the door. Tears streamed down her face and she hardly noticed footsteps approaching until a pair of arms wrapped themselves around her, offering her solace and comfort. "I'm so scared, Nick." She buried her face in his chest.  
  
He held her close, stroking her hair. "I know, Sara, I know."  
  
The Layout Room:  
  
"How long will it take?" Warrick was on the phone and a grin spread across his face. "Ok, I'll scan the slides and email them to you for preliminary identification. I'm sending the rest over night."  
  
Catherine stood there with a curious expression on her face as Warrick hung up the phone. "What did they say?"  
  
He looked up at her. "Well, if my theory is correct, we should be able to get a warrant in about 24 to 48 hours."  
  
Catherine wrinkled her brow. "That long?"  
  
Warrick chuckled. "That's a rush when we're dealing with the Feds. This guy has an entire lab dedicated just to this. Can you imagine? I'd think it'd get a little old after a while."  
  
"Well, one man's obsession is another mans salvation." Catherine observed.  
  
"Let's hope so." He replied.  
  
Grissom's Office:  
  
Grissom sat behind his desk, his glasses laying in front of him. He rubbed his temples and contemplated what Nick had told him. If everything he said was true, it explained a lot. At the same time, it made him feel like an ass at every time he put Sara in a position to process certain crime scenes. In his mind he had thought she would have more insight because she was a woman. He had never imagined the reasons why she possessed that insight. But now as he considered Nick's words, the pieces came falling together with crystal clarity.  
  
The Roof:  
  
Sara's tears had soaked through Nick's shirt and now as she pulled out of his embrace, she looked up at him apologetically. "I got your shirt all wet. I'm sorry."  
  
"It's just a shirt. It'll dry." He looked at her with concern and reached up to brush a tear from her face with his thumb.  
  
"I don't think I can face any of them." Sara wrapped her arms around her body in a defensive gesture as she looked at Nick.  
  
"I think they'd be a lot more understanding than you give them credit for." Nick searched her face.  
  
Her voice was tentative. "Do any of them know about what you told me. About what happened to you?"  
  
He didn't break eye contact as he nodded. "Yeah, Catherine and Grissom do."  
  
There was pain in Sara's eyes and she glanced away for a moment. "Uh, Nick, I haven't told you everything."  
  
His face was filled with compassion. "I kind of figured that, Sar."  
  
She had a slightly shocked expression on her face. "Is that why you told me?"  
  
He nodded. "One of the reasons. I know how hard it is to talk about something that personal, I just thought maybe you'd trust me."  
  
Her brow wrinkled as she considered his words. "I do trust you."  
  
"I know." Nick reached out and touched her shoulder, giving it a squeeze. "Sara, I know you probably don't want to hear this, but I'm going to say it again anyway. You really need to talk about this, it really does help. Catherine convinced me of that."  
  
Sara closed her eyes for a moment. "I suppose they've all figured it out."  
  
Nick shook his head. "I don't think they have, but I think it might help if you told them."  
  
Fear clouded Sara's face as her eyes opened wide. Her voice was a whisper. "Nick, I'm so scared."  
  
He pulled her into a hug and whispered in her ear. "I know, Sara, but you're not alone."  
  
Grissom's Office:  
  
"I just want to make it clear that what gets said in this office doesn't leave this office." Grissom's voice was stern.  
  
Catherine and Warrick glanced over at Nick and Sara and nodded.  
  
Sara glanced around the room, her face was a myriad of emotions.  
  
Nick reached over and squeezed her hand. "Do you want me to say something?"  
  
She shook her head. "I need to do this myself." Sara glanced around the room at her coworkers. Her friends. In the few years that she'd lived in Vegas, they had all been through a lot with each other and they had somehow formed a little family. "I want to apologize for the last few days, I've had a lot on my mind, and I know it's affected all of you."  
  
Nick gave her a soft smile and squeezed her hand again.  
  
Sara glanced over at him and a faint smile tugged at her lips as she squeezed back. She took a deep breath and continued. "I've been having nightmares for the last few weeks. I haven't been able to sleep because the images of that young girl laying on the sidewalk in front of her house keep haunting me. What if we had arrested her rapist, would she still be alive?"  
  
"Sara, you can't ask yourself those kind of questions." Warrick hoped to reassure her.  
  
Sara shook her head. "That's just it, Warrick, I ask myself those questions all the time. Cases like that hit a little too close to home."  
  
A realization dawned on Catherine's face and she glanced at Nick who gave her an almost imperceptible nod. Catherine had to swallow the bile that threatened the back of her throat.  
  
The room was silent and Sara faltered for a moment.  
  
Nick scooted his chair a little closer to hers and put his arm around her shoulder. "You can do this, Sara."  
  
She glanced over at him. Tears threatened to spill from her eyes. She glanced down at her lap and continued. "You know how certain cases get to you more than others? Well I have a really hard time remaining impartial and emotionally uninvolved when I see cases where women have been beaten and raped, especially when they're young." Sara glanced up.  
  
Catherine had tears streaming down her face.  
  
Sara could tell that she just knew. Somehow that gave her the courage to continue. "When I was in grad school at Harvard, I had this roommate. She was always out partying, and I was always in our apartment studying." The memory caused Sara to have a hitch in her voice. "Well this one night, she called me and told me she'd forgotten her key, so I left the door unlocked. I didn't think anything of it when I heard the door open just after I had gone to bed. But." Tears started streaming down Sara's face and her courage faltered again.  
  
Nick brushed the tears from her face with his fingers as he whispered to her. "You can do this."  
  
She nodded and continued, her voice warbled. "I never saw their faces, they put a pillowcase over my head and raped me." She dissolved into sobs.  
  
Nick pulled her against him and just held her as she cried. He glanced around the room.  
  
Catherine stood up and walked over and put her hand on Sara's arm. "I am so sorry, Sara." She just rubbed Sara's arm, not sure what else she could do.  
  
Grissom looked as if his heart had been pierced. He wished he knew what to say, but he knew that any words he could offer would just sound trite.  
  
Warrick's jaw was set. He was angry at whomever had done this to Sara. His expression softened as it registered in his mind that Sara was sobbing. None of them except Nick had ever seen her cry quite like this, and it was shocking. Warrick stood up and knelt on the floor in front of Sara. "Girl, whatever you need, you've got." He placed a hand on her knee.  
  
Sara's sobs tapered off and she pulled out of Nick's embrace. "Thanks." She didn't want to meet anyone's gaze. She felt as if she'd exposed her soul and it felt frightening.  
  
Finally, Grissom spoke. His voice was soft, and it was evident that he was hurting for Sara. "Nick, why don't you take Sara home. I think we can handle things here."  
  
Nick just nodded. 


	8. A Lead

"How long do you think Nick's been in love with Sara?" Catherine and Warrick were getting the slides and samples ready to send overnight to a specialty DNA lab outside of Washington, DC.  
  
Warrick's head snapped up. "Nick's in love with Sara?" He looked a little confused.  
  
Catherine chuckled. "You must be a blind man if you can't see it, Warrick." She regarded her friend with amusement.  
  
Warrick thought about her words for a moment and then started to chuckle. "I guess I never considered it. I mean I know that they're good friends, it just never occurred to me that he'd fall in love with her."  
  
Catherine smiled. "Well I think he has. I'm just not sure how she feels."  
  
Warrick chuckled. "She's in love with him." He glanced up and shook his head in amusement at Catherine's shocked face. "She just doesn't know it yet. Do you think she'd let anyone that close if she wasn't in love with them?"  
  
Catherine raised a curious eyebrow. "What about Grissom?"  
  
Warrick stood up straight and shook his head. "Nah, that was just infatuation. She never got that close to him, not that he would have let her."  
  
Nick's House:  
  
"I still can't believe I told them. I've never told anyone, Nick." Sara was in a state of bewilderment. She had shared her deepest darkest secret with the people closest to her and had survived.  
  
"I told you they would be supportive." Nick answered softly.  
  
They lay atop the comforter on his bed talking. Nick lay on his side and Sara leaned back against his chest. Nick's arm was slung over her waist and Sara traced his hand with her fingers. They remained like that for a while in the silence of each other's company.  
  
Sara rolled over on her back and looked up at Nick, studying his face. Tentatively, she reached up and began to trail her fingers along his jaw line. Her hand came to rest on his cheek and she caressed it with her thumb.  
  
Nick held his breath and studied her, not sure where this was going.  
  
Sara soon made it abundantly clear as she leaned up and kissed him. The kiss was soft but demanding as Sara probed Nick's lips with her tongue, seeking entrance into his mouth.  
  
As Nick opened his mouth to her and responded to the kiss, Sara pulled Nick toward her as she lay back on the bed. Her hand reached down between them and she began to pull at his zipper. He sucked his breath in sharply and grabbed her wrist, pulling her hand away and breathing heavily as he broke the kiss.  
  
Confusion clouded Sara's face and she turned away from him.  
  
Nick put his arm around her waist and pulled her back against his chest. He whispered in her ear. "Sara, I can't do this right now. Not like this."  
  
Her voice had an edge of hurt in it. "What do you mean? Don't you find me attractive?"  
  
Nick chuckled softly.  
  
"What's so funny?" Sara sounded like she was on the verge of tears.  
  
"Do I find you attractive? Hell, Sara, do you have any idea how hard it's been for me to share my bed with you for the last few weeks and not kiss you? I've found you attractive since the day I met you." Nick sounded somewhat dumbfounded.  
  
Sara sniffled. "Oh." She wiped at her face. "Why don't you want to make love to me then?"  
  
Nick measured his words carefully. "Sara, it isn't that I don't want to make love to you, I do. I just don't want our first time together to be because you were upset and wanted someone to comfort you."  
  
Her body stiffened.  
  
He let out a deep breath. "Sara, I know from experience that you can't numb the pain of sexual abuse with sex, alcohol, or anything else. Believe me, I tried."  
  
She wiped at her eyes again. "So you won't sleep with me until I see a shrink."  
  
Nick smiled in spite of himself. "I didn't say that."  
  
"Then what the hell are you trying to say, Nick? I'm feeling a little awkward here." She wanted nothing more than to bolt from the room.  
  
Nick tightened his grip on her waist sensing her discomfort. "Sara, I'm in love with you. When I make love to you, I want it to be because you're in love with me too."  
  
Sara didn't move. The words that Nick had just spoken hung heavily in the air. Her voice was barely a whisper. "What did you say?"  
  
"I'm in love with you, Sara." Nick replied softly, hoping that she wouldn't hate him.  
  
Sara began to relax. "I didn't really expect that."  
  
Nick's voice was a whisper. "I should have said something sooner."  
  
"Nick?" Sara's voice was tentative.  
  
"Yeah?" Nick tried to make his voice belie his nervousness.  
  
"Can I be alone for a while? I just need to think about this." She sounded unsure of herself.  
  
"Yeah." Nick breathed out softly as he released his hold on her and pulled himself off of the bed, making his way out into the living room where he turned the TV on for a little distraction.  
  
Grissom's Office:  
  
"So, what you're telling me is, you think you can get a warrant based on this information?" Grissom asked in clarification.  
  
"Yeah, we've confirmed that none of the guests owned a cat. None of their clothes had traces of cat hair. The only cat hair found at the scene was on the vic, and he didn't own a cat either, in fact he was so allergic to them, he couldn't even be around them. That's actually what makes this case so unique. Brenda Sutton met all of her guests in a medical trial for severe allergy sufferers. More specifically, people with severe allergies to cats." Warrick explained.  
  
Grissom shrugged. "Well I guess truth is stranger than fiction." He wrinkled his brow. "Explain one thing to me. How did you even think of this?"  
  
Warrick chuckled. "It was Nick that mentioned it actually. A while ago he was telling me about this case he saw profiled on the Discovery Channel. It was a landmark case up in Canada, Prince Edward Island I believe, where they used cat DNA to place a guy at the scene of a murder. The conviction held."  
  
Catherine looked somewhat amused. "So, all that television Nick watches comes in handy once in a while."  
  
Grissom shook his head in bewilderment. "I think I remember that case. It was profiled in one of my forensic journals. Snowball was the cat's name." He paused of a moment. "But how is this going to lead us to the killer?"  
  
Warrick chuckled. "Leave it to Nick again. He said that the hair appeared to be from a unique breed of cat. So unique in fact that there's probably only a handful of them in Vegas, and cat DNA is almost as unique as human DNA. This guy in DC has an entire lab dedicated to the study of it."  
  
Grissom looked at Warrick over the rim of his glasses. "Let me know what you find out."  
  
Nick's House:  
  
Nick sat on the couch flipping channels on the TV, trying to get his mind on something other than Sara.  
  
Sara appeared in the doorway to the living room. "Hey."  
  
He glanced up. "Hey."  
  
She walked over and sat down on the couch near him. "I'm sorry about earlier."  
  
He smiled at her. "No need to apologize, Sara. I'm flattered."  
  
She smiled in spite of herself. "I just wanted to say thank you. For everything. I guess I didn't consider your feelings when I kept showing up and asking to sleep with you."  
  
Nick waggled his eyebrows at her. "Every man's dream."  
  
She swatted at him and a hint of color infused her cheeks.  
  
"Got you to smile." He grinned at her.  
  
She was silent for a few moments. "Nick, uh, about what you said earlier."  
  
His expression was soft but serious. "You mean the part about where I'm in love with you?"  
  
She nodded. "Yeah."  
  
He looked at her in anticipation. "Yeah?"  
  
She looked him in the eyes. "I care about you a lot. I don't think I've ever had a better friend than you, Nick."  
  
Nick glanced away. The word 'friend' hung in the air as he anticipated the speech to follow.  
  
Sara chuckled.  
  
Nick glanced up.  
  
Amusement flickered across Sara's face. "I'm not giving you the friends speech, Nick."  
  
Nick chuckled softly and shook his head as he met her gaze. "Well, it always seems to start off like that."  
  
Sara reached over and took Nick's hand in hers and looked into his eyes. "Nick, you are my best friend. I do love you. I'm just not sure yet if I'm in love with you. I'm definitely attracted to you, but I'm confused right now. I just need some time to process this."  
  
"Ok." He smiled at her and squeezed her hand. "You hungry?"  
  
She considered his question for a moment and then started to laugh. "I guess I am."  
  
He raised a quizzical eyebrow. "Pizza and beer?"  
  
She raised both of her eyebrows. "No meat."  
  
He grinned and reached for the phone. "Two pizzas." 


	9. Discovery

"I hear that your Discovery Channel obsession finally paid off." Catherine walked into the break room where Nick was pouring himself a cup of coffee.  
  
Nick looked perplexed. "Sorry?"  
  
Catherine chuckled as she poured herself a cup. "Apparently, Warrick didn't tell you."  
  
Nick raised an eyebrow as her raised his coffee cup to his lips. "Tell me what?"  
  
"Cat hair. DNA. Washington, DC. Snowball." Catherine looked amused as she took a sip of the dark hot liquid.  
  
A realization dawned on Nick. "Oh, yeah, I told him about that case a couple of months ago. I think it was written up in one of the forensic journals I get too."  
  
A surprised expression flickered over Catherine's face.  
  
Nick raised an eyebrow. "What? You don't think I read forensic journals? I am a CSI."  
  
Catherine chuckled. "Sorry, Nicky. It's just that you always seem to tell us about stuff you've seen on the Discovery Channel."  
  
Nick tried to feign a pout. "I'm hurt."  
  
Catherine raised and eyebrow and took another sip of her coffee. "You'll get over it."  
  
He chuckled. "Ok, so how does this relate to the case? I've been a little out of the loop."  
  
"The lab in DC confirmed that the cat hair comes from a rare breed that very few people in Vegas have. In fact, there are only a handful of breeders in the entire country." Catherine grinned.  
  
"Do we have a suspect?" Nick queried.  
  
"Working on it." Catherine replied. She tilted her head to the side. "How's Sara?"  
  
Nick smiled softly. "She's doing ok. I think Grissom making her take a couple of weeks off is a good thing. It scared the crap out of me though that she agreed to it."  
  
"What is she doing with the time off?" Catherine queried.  
  
Nick grinned. "You mean besides trying to get me to do that show 'Trading Spaces'?"  
  
"She isn't?" Catherine laughed.  
  
Nick nodded. "She is. She seems to think that my house is too masculine."  
  
"So is she still sleeping there?" Catherine questioned tentatively.  
  
Nick shook his head. "She spent the last two days at her own place. She called me three or four times, but she didn't come over. I'd say that's progress." He smiled.  
  
"Has she thought about talking to someone?" Catherine continued with concern.  
  
"Actually, she is. Can you believe it? She's seeing the same person I went to, that friend of yours." He took another sip of his coffee. "I went with her the first time. I know it was really tough for her to do, but I'm really proud of her. She already seems more relaxed."  
  
Catherine looked please and started to chuckle.  
  
Nick raised a curious eyebrow. "What?"  
  
A mischievous smile flickered across her face. "You look good in love, Nicky."  
  
Nick tried to restrain his grin even as color infused his cheeks. "Is it that obvious?"  
  
She smiled. "Yeah, it is. How does Sara feel?"  
  
Nick glanced at the floor for a moment before looking back up at Catherine. "She's not sure yet."  
  
Catherine smiled softly at him and touched his arm. "She'll come around."  
  
"I hope so." Nick confessed with a lopsided smile.  
  
Sara's Apartment:  
  
Sara had begun digging through boxes she hadn't looked through in years. Things that she'd just moved from one place to another. She laughed as she pulled out a worn stuffed teddy bear. "I didn't know I still had this old thing."  
  
With all this free time on her hands, she'd decided to do a little spring cleaning, even if it was November. It had been almost two weeks since she'd been at work, and through some coaxing and encouragement from Nick, she'd agreed to go to see a counselor who specialized in sexual abuse. In fact, Nick had gone to the same counselor through some encouragement from Catherine, and it had helped him tremendously.  
  
She had pulled out another box to begin looking through when her phone rang. Considering the time of night, she had a pretty good idea who it was. "Hello."  
  
"Hey, babe." Nick's voice was warm and his drawl seemed to be a little more pronounced than normal.  
  
"Hey." She smiled and it was evident in her voice. Despite Sara not being completely sure about her feelings for Nick, they had decided to date each other and see where things might go.  
  
Nick continued, with a bit of hesitation in his voice. "Uh, how would you feel about taking a couple more days off?"  
  
Sara sounded a little confused. "Why?"  
  
Nick chuckled. "Well, Thanksgiving is next week and I was wondering if you'd like to come with me to Texas."  
  
"Texas, huh?" Sara replied. "For a minute there I thought you were going to tell me that they'd hired someone to replace me at the lab."  
  
Nick laughed. "No one could replace you, Sar."  
  
Sara heard some muffled talking in the background.  
  
"Can it, Sanders. And for the record, yes, I am sweet talking Sara." Nick sounded amused.  
  
Sara started to giggle. "You're cute, you know that don't you?"  
  
Nick sounded like he was smiling as he answered her. "You're cuter."  
  
"Flirt." Sara tried to restrain the grin on her face.  
  
Nick chuckled. "Only with you."  
  
"So, how many people are in your family again?" Sara queried nervously.  
  
"You want to come then?" He sounded hopeful.  
  
"You didn't answer my question. You have what, one brother and five sisters?" She continued.  
  
"And their families." Nick sounded amused.  
  
Sara was quiet for a few moments as she thought about meeting that many people all at once. "Am I in for an interrogation?"  
  
Nick laughed. "Maybe. But they're going to love you."  
  
"Uh, can I think about it?" Sara felt a little overwhelmed.  
  
"Yeah." Nick replied, trying not to sound disappointed.  
  
"Thanks." Sara sounded relieved.  
  
"Hey." Nick interjected.  
  
"Yeah?" Sara queried.  
  
"I love you." Nick's voice was soft.  
  
"I'll call you later." Sara's voice had the hint of a smile. She hung up the phone and lay back on the floor considering her conversation with Nick. The last few weeks had been intense. Since she'd been going to see a counselor, she had felt less out of control and more grounded as she began to deal with the sexual assault that she'd experienced so many years ago. She had actually managed to sleep in her own bed, although she'd called Nick several times. He was really good for her and that thought made her smile as she came to a realization.  
  
She picked up the phone and punched in the familiar number. "Hey."  
  
Nick chuckled on the other end of the line. "That was quick."  
  
She smiled. "I want to come to Texas."  
  
Nick could not hide his excitement over the phone. "They are going to love you, Sara. I can't wait to let them know you're coming." There was some muffled talking in the background. "Hey, Sar, I need to go, we've got a lead on this case."  
  
"Ok." She smiled. "Nick, just one more thing."  
  
"What's that?" Nick replied curiously as he was being pushed to end the call.  
  
Sara couldn't contain the grin that spread across her face. "I love you too." 


	10. Dumbstruck

Nick's mouth was slightly agape as he ended his call with Sara. He stared at the phone in disbelief and then a dopey grin spread over his face. Warrick watched his friend's face as they walked toward one of the layout rooms to meet Catherine and Grissom. He chuckled. "Did Sara tell you she liked your ass or something, man?"  
  
Nick shook his head and mumbled. "Better."  
  
"Well, whatever it was, you'd better get your mind back here on earth because when Grissom gets back with Brass, it's show time." Warrick turned into the layout room where Catherine was and nodded a greeting.  
  
A bemused expression crossed Catherine's face as she glanced at Nick. She looked over at Warrick and raised an eyebrow.  
  
Warrick just mouthed a single word to her 'Sara'.  
  
Nick's mind was on another planet; Planet Sara to be exact. When he had confessed to her that he was in love with her, he knew that she might not return his feelings, although he knew that she was attracted to him, her actions made that abundantly clear. They had been friends for so long that it had taken her some time to let the idea that he was in love with her sink in. She had told him that she loved him as her friend, but had promised him that she wouldn't say those words to him again unless she meant it the way he did. Those three words she had just spoken to him had rocked his world. Sara Sidle was in love with him.  
  
"Earth to Nick." Catherine's words finally penetrated Nick's reverie.  
  
"Sorry, uh, what?" Nick felt slightly embarrassed as he glanced up at Catherine.  
  
"Welcome back from Planet Sara." Warrick looked amused. "What did she say to you anyway?"  
  
Nick crossed his arms in front of his body and he tried to restrain his grin as he answered Warrick's question. "She's coming with me to Texas for Thanksgiving."  
  
Catherine grinned and looked like she was about to say something.  
  
Nick wasn't done; his grin once again took over his face as he glanced from Catherine to Warrick. "And she's in love with me."  
  
Interrogation Room:  
  
Warrick, Catherine, and Nick stood in the viewing room watching Brass and Grissom interrogate a suspect.  
  
"What, because I own a rare breed of cat, that makes me a murderer?" The man was indignant.  
  
Warrick scoffed. "Doesn't this guy realize he's digging himself a deeper hole?"  
  
"He has a point. I mean, unless we can prove that the DNA from his cat matches the hair samples, it may not stand in court. They had to do an extensive cross section of the cat population up on Prince Edward Island for this to fly in Canada." Nick informed the other two CSIs.  
  
"Now he tells us." Warrick shook his head.  
  
"Hey, I believe I told you all this when I relayed the details of this case to you in the first place. I didn't even know you were going to try and use the hair as a key piece of evidence." Nick replied. "I mean, it could stick, you know how judges are though."  
  
Warrick and Catherine nodded. They were well aware of how fickle a judge could be about evidence after they'd busted their butts. If they didn't do everything by the book, it could casually get thrown out of court. They couldn't afford that luxury in this case, they needed this evidence.  
  
Brass was wrapping up the interrogation. He had been given a warrant to seize the man's cats to have blood and hair samples taken, as well as a search warrant for his house. In this case, a judge had been extremely lenient in issuing the warrants simply because he was aware of the case in Canada. That and the fact that the man had a tenuous connection with the victim; he was his brother.  
  
Nick's House:  
  
Nick was exhausted. He had pulled a couple of extra hours at the end of shift and was ready to crawl in bed and go to sleep. When he pulled into his driveway, however, he got a second burst of energy. Sara's Denali was there, which meant that she was inside. He had ended up giving her a key so that she could just come in rather than wake him up if she was too afraid to be alone. Nick grinned as he opened the door.  
  
Sara glanced up and smiled at him. There was a twinkle in her eyes. "Hey, I thought you might be hungry, so I came over to make you breakfast."  
  
Nick walked up to her in the kitchen and rested his hands on her hips. "Hey, babe." A grin was etched on his face. "I got the strangest phone call today."  
  
Sara giggled and let her hands rest on his biceps. "Really?"  
  
He nodded and slid his arms around her waist. "Yeah, someone who sounds remarkably like you called me to tell me she loves me." He had a mischievous glint in his eyes.  
  
Sara raised a single eyebrow as she slid her arms around his neck. "Hmm, couldn't have been me."  
  
Nick raised an eyebrow in response. "Really."  
  
She leaned closer to him, her lips stopping mere inches from his. "Yeah, if it was me, I'm sure I would have told you that I'm in love with you." Her eyes had a hint of teasing in them.  
  
Nick chuckled as he closed the distance between them and softly pressed his lips against hers, pulling her firmly against him.  
  
As they broke the kiss, Sara looked into his eyes and smiled. "So, where are we staying in Texas?"  
  
He grinned at her. "I love you."  
  
Sara's stomach fluttered at those words.  
  
"I love you too." She grinned back at him.  
  
Nick felt a surge of emotion as he looked in her eyes.  
  
Sara raised an eyebrow at him. "But you didn't answer my question. Where are we staying in Texas?"  
  
He leaned over and rested his forehead against hers. "Well, it's sort of a family tradition for everyone to stay at my parent's ranch on Thanksgiving."  
  
Sara raised both eyebrows. "Ranch?" Sara could feel the nerves churning in her stomach.  
  
Nick chuckled. "Yeah, ranch."  
  
Sara leaned back with a curious expression on her face. "Just how big is this ranch?"  
  
Nick looked a little sheepish. Even though the crew of CSIs regarded each other as a family, Nick didn't really like to talk about his in too much detail. They really had no idea how important his family was in Texas.  
  
"Nick?" Sara pursed her lips urging him to answer.  
  
"Uh, it's about 15,000 acres." He answered.  
  
A look somewhere between amusement and fear crossed Sara's face. "So I've fallen in love with a rich cowboy, ex-frat boy, jock, turned crime fighter."  
  
Nick chuckled and waggled his eyebrows at her. "You forgot handsome and charming."  
  
Sara started laughing, before resting her forehead against his chest. "You are full of it, Stokes."  
  
"Yeah, but you love it and you know it, science nerd, Ivy League brain, brilliant CSI, and the most gorgeous woman I've ever known." Nick leaned down and kissed the top of her head before releasing her from his embrace. "Didn't you mention breakfast?"  
  
She giggled. "Yeah, I did, but I also wanted an excuse to see you since I'm on a forced vacation."  
  
Nick grinned. "I'm glad you're here, but I'm also really tired."  
  
"Well, let's eat then." Sara quickly served the food she'd made onto a couple of plates and they sat down on the couch in the living room as close to each other as possible. They grinned at each other like a couple of fools as they ate. Nick filled her in on the case and told her how Warrick and Catherine had made fun of him after he'd gotten off the phone with her earlier.  
  
"I wish I could have seen that." She had a glint in her eye.  
  
"Oh, I'm sure you'll have plenty of opportunity, babe." Nick caressed her face with his eyes and then leaned over and planted a sweet kiss on her mouth.  
  
As they finished their food, Sara picked up the plates and took them into the kitchen. She noticed Nick yawning. "Hey, it looks like someone needs to get some sleep." She walked back out to the couch and sat down next to him. "I'm going to go home so you can get some sleep." She leaned over and kissed him softly.  
  
Nick raised a curious eyebrow at her as they broke the kiss. "You can stay if you want to."  
  
She smiled and shook her head taking his hand in hers. "Nick, I need to conquer this demon, and as much as I like sleeping next to you, I don't really think I'd want to sleep. Besides, I've got an appointment with my counselor in a couple of hours."  
  
"I am so proud of you, Sar." Nick's voice was thick with emotion. He tangled his fingers in her hair and softly kissed her.  
  
She giggled against his lips. As they broke the kiss, she grinned at him. "I'll come over before you go to work."  
  
"Promise?" Nick grinned.  
  
"Uh, huh." Sara leaned in and kissed him again, her eyes slowly fluttering shut. 


	11. Dallas

"Nick, you did tell them I was coming with you, didn't you?" Sara had a very worried, nervous expression on her face. Nick glanced over at her as they waited in line at the ticket counter at McCarren International Airport and chuckled. He took her hand and gave it a squeeze, raising an eyebrow before answering her. "Yes, they know you're coming. In fact they are very excited that you're coming."  
  
Sara's eyebrows shot up. "Why?" She looked slightly panic stricken.  
  
They stepped forward in line and Nick put his arm around her waist and hugged her. "Because I talk about you so much. They can't wait to meet you." He kissed the top of her head.  
  
They stepped up to the counter and checked in their bags and got their boarding passes. As they walked toward the security screeners, Sara swallowed hard and started biting her lower lip.  
  
Nick noticed, but decided he'd wait until they were through security before he asked her. It didn't really take long to get through since they had checked all their bags. As they walked toward the gate, Nick took Sara's hand. His voice was soft. "Sar, is something else bothering you?"  
  
A faint smile tugged at her mouth and she looked slightly embarrassed. "Uh, I feel really stupid for asking, I mean it's not like we're, uh, I mean."  
  
Nick started to laugh softly as they sat down in a pair of chairs near the boarding gate. "Sara, if you're worried about the sleeping arrangements, don't be. We don't have to sleep together if you don't want to, and if you're worried about what my family will think if we do, don't worry about that either."  
  
Sara started to laugh. "How did you know that that's what I was thinking?"  
  
He looked in her eyes for a minute and smiled. "Because I know you." He leaned in and softly kissed her.  
  
As they broke the kiss, Sara grinned. "I love you, Nick Stokes."  
  
He grinned back at her. "I love you too, Sara Sidle."  
  
On The Flight:  
  
"What do your parents do again?" Sara queried him. Nick hadn't gone into a lot of detail when he had talked about his family. Sara had gotten the impression that there was a lot he hadn't told her.  
  
He looked over at her, his expression was somewhat nervous. "My mom is a public defender. She's been doing that as long as I can remember."  
  
Sara raised an eyebrow at him. "What does your dad do, Nick?" She could tell he was trying to be evasive.  
  
"He worked as a district attorney for the state for years, until he was appointed to the bench." He looked nervous as he continued. "A few years ago, he was appointed to the state supreme court."  
  
Sara couldn't help dropping her jaw slightly. "Uh, your dad is a justice?"  
  
Nick nodded sheepishly. "Yeah."  
  
Sara looked at him incredulously. "Nick, how come none of us knew that?"  
  
Nick felt like he was in the hot seat as he met Sara's gaze. "Uh, I just didn't want to make a big deal out of it. I mean, that's part of the reason I moved to Vegas in the first place. I wanted to be something other than just the youngest member of the Stokes clan."  
  
Sara started to chuckle. "You're priceless, you know that don't you?" She reached over and caressed his cheek with her palm as she leaned in to kiss him. She felt Nick smile against her lips. As she pulled away, she raised an eyebrow. "So what else should I know? What do your siblings do?"  
  
Dallas Ft. Worth International Airport Baggage Claim:  
  
Nick wrapped his arms around Sara's back as they waited for their luggage.  
  
She rested her head on his chest and let out a deep sigh.  
  
He glanced down at her. "Hey, what's up?"  
  
"I'm just nervous about meeting your family." Sara replied.  
  
Nick chuckled. "Sara, you have nothing to be nervous about. They're going to love you." He squeezed her a little tighter.  
  
Sara pulled out of the embrace and looked up at him. "Nick, you're not the one meeting them. I'm an only child. It's just a little overwhelming."  
  
Nick took her hand and gave it a squeeze. "You really have nothing to worry about."  
  
"Nicky!" A voice called out over the din of the airport baggage claim.  
  
Nick looked up over the crowd and a wide grin spread out over his face as he waved. "Maddie!"  
  
Sara's stomach started to churn nervously as Nick's sister Madeline approached.  
  
Nick pulled his sister into a bear hug and planted a kiss on her cheek before releasing her.  
  
Maddie turned toward Sara and smiled. "You must be Sara that we've all heard so much about." She had the same distinctive drawl as Nick.  
  
"Guilty as charged." Sara smiled nervously as she shook Maddie's hand.  
  
"Uh, let me introduce you ladies. Sara, this is my sister Madeline." Nick began with a twinkle in his eye.  
  
Maddie interrupted, elbowing Nick in the ribs. "Maddie." She was grinning as she glanced over at her brother.  
  
Nick grinned back before turning his attention to Sara once again. "Alright, this is my older sister Maddie. Don't believe a word of what she tells you about me." He winked at Sara.  
  
Maddie looked at Sara conspiratorially. "We'll have to have a little girl talk later and I'll tell you some of Nicky's more embarrassing moments."  
  
Sara laughed in spite of herself.  
  
Nick turned toward his sister. "Maddie, this is Sara Sidle, the most beautiful amazing woman I've ever met." Nick grinned at Sara.  
  
Sara felt her cheeks get a little warm as she began to blush. She tried to restrain an embarrassed grin as it spread across her face.  
  
Maddie laughed. "Oh, Sara, I have to tell you, he's got it bad for you."  
  
Nick just continued grinning at Sara. "Yes, I do."  
  
"C'mon you two, let's get those bags, Peter's waiting in the car." Maddie grinned.  
  
Stoke's Ranch:  
  
Nick had held Sara's hand the entire way to his parent's ranch as they sat in the backseat of his sister's SUV. He could tell she was nervous even though he knew that Maddie had liked Sara immediately. Maddie and her husband Peter had peppered the couple with friendly inquisitive questions as they drove.  
  
As they pulled up in front of the house, Sara tried to restrain her surprise at the size of the house.  
  
Nick squeezed her hand as they stepped out of the vehicle.  
  
Peter helped Nick unload the bags and carry them into the house.  
  
Maddie grinned at Nick and Sara. "Mom and Dad won't be home for a little while and Peter and I need to go pick up Josh and Jenny from school, so we'll leave you two alone. I think everyone else will be by a little before dinner time."  
  
Sara glanced at the clock in the foyer of the large house and let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding. If the Stokes had dinner when most people did, that meant that she and Nick had a few hours to get settled before she had to meet anyone else.  
  
Maddie came over and gave Sara a hug. "It was really good to meet you, I can't wait to get to know you better."  
  
Sara smiled at Nick over Maddie's shoulder.  
  
Peter shook Nick's hand and winked at Sara as he prepared to follow Maddie out the front door. "If this guy gives you any trouble, let us know, we'll whip him into shape."  
  
Sara chuckled. "I'll keep that in mind." She grinned over at Nick who looked somewhat embarrassed.  
  
After Maddie and Peter left Sara glanced at their luggage.  
  
Nick put his arms around Sara's shoulders and pulled her into a hug. "So, Ms. Sidle, will we be needing one room or two?"  
  
Sara laughed as she rested her head against Nick's chest. "I think one will be fine, Mr. Stokes." 


	12. Meeting Mom

As Nick put the luggage down in the room he and Sara would share, he glanced over at her and grinned. She looked up and nervously met his gaze.  
  
He raised a curious eyebrow. "Sara, if you're not ok with this, there is another room next door."  
  
Sara bit her lower lip and considered his words. "I just feel weird sleeping with you in your parent's house."  
  
Nick started laughing. "My mom is going to love you."  
  
Sara looked embarrassed.  
  
Nick walked over to her and pulled her into a hug. "Hey, I'm sorry, I don't want you to feel uncomfortable, Sar."  
  
She playfully punched him in the stomach. "Maybe we should sleep in separate rooms."  
  
He chuckled and leaned down to kiss her softly. As he pulled away, he grinned. "Whatever you want."  
  
She raised a mischievous eyebrow. "Whatever I want, huh?" She snaked her arms around his waist and pressed her slightly open mouth against his lips. The kiss quickly deepened and their tongues leisurely explored each other's mouths.  
  
Nick pulled her firmly against his body and his hands found their way under the back of her shirt.  
  
Sara pulled away, breathing heavily. "Nick, uh, I, we, uh."  
  
Nick pulled his hands out from under her shirt and loosened his grip on her. "What is it, babe?" His voice was gentle as he raised an eyebrow.  
  
Sara smiled and looked into his eyes. "I think we should sleep in separate rooms."  
  
He nodded. "Ok."  
  
"I just don't want our first time, I mean, well, I, crap, this is embarrassing." Sara's face flushed with color as she leaned her forehead against Nick's chest.  
  
He chuckled. "I understand." He kissed the top of her head. "There's nothing quite like wondering if someone's parents can hear you."  
  
Sara giggled. "It freaks me out that you can read my mind so well."  
  
Nick laughed. "Well, I think I'd feel a little weird if my parents could hear us too. It's ok, Sar. There's a bathroom between this room and the one next door, so if you wake up and don't want to be alone, you don't have to go out in the hallway to find me."  
  
Sara let out a deep breath and smiled. "Have I mentioned that I love you?"  
  
"I don't think I'll ever get tired of hearing it." Nick grinned. "Do you want to sleep in here, or the other room?"  
  
Sara leaned her head back so she could look in Nick's eyes. "Which one was yours?"  
  
He tried to restrain a smile. "This one."  
  
She tilted her head slightly and chuckled. "Then I'll sleep in this one."  
  
The Stables:  
  
"I can't believe you've never ridden a horse, Sara." Nick looked somewhat amused.  
  
She crossed her arms in front of her body and raised an eyebrow. "There's not a whole lot of space for horses at a bed and breakfast. Besides, I was too busy studying to learn how to ride."  
  
"Well, Daisy here is a sweet mare and I think you'll do fine on her. All you have to do is sit there, she'll do the rest." Nick assured her as he saddled the Palomino mare.  
  
Sara looked skeptical as Nick instructed her to put her foot in the stirrup. "I'd better not fall off, Stokes." Her eyebrows shot up as his hands made contact with her butt as he helped to lift her into the saddle. "Oh, so you don't really want to ride, you just wanted an excuse to grab my ass."  
  
Nick had a mischievous grin on his face. "Do I need an excuse?"  
  
Sara turned a little red as she grinned at him. "Probably not."  
  
In one swift move, Nick pulled himself onto a beautiful chestnut and white Paint gelding named Jay. He leaned over in the saddle and kissed Sara briefly. "Ready to go."  
  
Sara let out a deep breath. "Ready as I'll ever be."  
  
Stokes House:  
  
Nick and Sara walked back into the house hand in hand with smiles on their faces chatting in an animated fashion. Sara never realized how exhilarating it could be to ride a horse. As they walked into the foyer, they heard a voice call out.  
  
"Nicky, is that you?" A woman who Sara assumed was Nick's mom emerged. She appeared to be ever much the lady in her perfectly tailored suit. She had Nick's smile and his distinctive drawl.  
  
"Mom." Nick smiled and released Sara's hand and he enveloped his mom in a bear hug.  
  
She laughed as she hugged her youngest child. "I can tell you've been out with the horses, Nicky."  
  
Nick release her with a slightly sheepish grin on his face. "Sorry."  
  
She raised an amused eyebrow. "Don't ever apologize for giving your mother a proper greeting. Suits can be cleaned, now you, you can't be replaced." She looked over at Sara and offered her a warm smile. "Seems Nicky has forgotten his manners, Sara. I'm Audrey Stokes." She extended her hand to Sara.  
  
"Sorry, mom, this is Sara Sidle." He grinned as the two women shook hands.  
  
"Nice to meet you, Mrs. Stokes." Sara smiled.  
  
"Call me Audrey, I insist. Mrs. Stokes makes me feel like I'm old. I may be a grandmother, but I sure as hell refuse to act like one." Sara could tell where Nick got his down to earth personality.  
  
Nick glanced toward the living room and then back at his mom. "Is Dad around?"  
  
Audrey shook her head. "No, I'm afraid your father had to review a case before he could come home. He'll probably be here after dinner." She looked over at Sara. "We've been looking forward to meeting you, Sara, Nicky talks about you all the time."  
  
Sara felt her cheeks beginning to get a little warm. "Well I'm glad to finally meet you too."  
  
Audrey looked warmly over at Nick. "Did you get settled upstairs?"  
  
Nick nodded. "Yeah, I'm in Dan's room and Sara's in mine."  
  
She smiled, "Well, the rest of the clan will be here shortly. You might want to take advantage of the peace and quiet while you can, it can be a little overwhelming. Nicky tells me that you're an only child."  
  
Sara nodded. "Yeah." She smiled at Audrey. She really liked Nick's mom and felt very at ease around her. She hoped that the rest of his family would be just as nice.  
  
Audrey gave Sara a knowing look. "I was an only child too. If you need a little space, just let me know, I'll find a way to have Nick get you out of here for a while."  
  
Sara chuckled and glanced over at Nick.  
  
"Hey, Mom, I think we're going to go up and change." Nick grinned and reached over and took Sara's hand.  
  
"Take your time." Audrey leaned over and kissed Nick on the cheek. "It's so good to have you home, honey."  
  
Upstairs:  
  
"Hey, Nicky?" Sara grinned as she used his nickname.  
  
Nick walked through the bathroom that joined their rooms. "Yeah, Sar?" He had not quite finished changing his clothes and wore only a clean pair of jeans.  
  
She chuckled. "I'm sorry, but I cannot call someone as sexy as you 'Nicky'."  
  
He raised an amused eyebrow. "So you think I'm sexy, huh?" His drawl had gotten more pronounced since they'd arrived in Texas.  
  
She walked over to him and slowly slid her hands up his chest before wrapping her arms around his neck. "Yeah, I do." She was grinning mischievously.  
  
Nick slid his arms around her waist. "I think you are too." He leaned down and kissed her, parting his lips slightly.  
  
Sara willingly responded to his kiss as her tongue began to dance with his.  
  
They finally pulled apart breathing heavily.  
  
Nick raised an eyebrow at her. "You called me in here, did you need something? Or was that just an excuse to get me to kiss you?"  
  
Sara giggled. "Do I need an excuse?"  
  
Nick chuckled. "Probably not." He leaned down and kissed her again, this time sliding his hands down her back and caressing her butt through the fabric of her jeans.  
  
Sara mumbled against his lips. "Nick."  
  
Reluctantly, he pulled away. "Yeah?"  
  
She looked into his eyes. "We should probably stop while we still can."  
  
"Ok." He grinned at her and let her out of his embrace. "I'm gonna go back and put a shirt on."  
  
Sara's eyes took him in. "Good idea, I don't think I could concentrate during dinner otherwise."  
  
Nick turned in the doorway of the bathroom, striking a pose and flexing before disappearing into the other room.  
  
Sara just stood there giggling as she shook her head and held her fingers to her lips. 


	13. Pies and Ponies

When Nick and Sara made their way back downstairs a good portion of the Stokes clan had arrived. Sara clung to Nick's hand and put a smile on her face as she was introduced. The faces began to blur together and Nick's mom shot him a glance that spoke volumes. Nick grinned at Sara and leaned over to whisper in her ear. "Let's go outside for a few minutes." Through her pasted on smile she replied softly. "Thank you." She glanced over at Audrey Stokes and smiled, a real genuine smile.  
  
"Hey, I'm sorry, I didn't realize you were drowning in there." Nick looked apologetic as he wrapped his arms around Sara and pulled her into a hug.  
  
"It's just a little overwhelming, Nick." She rested her head against his chest and let out a deep breath.  
  
"I guess I'm used to it. Want to go for a little walk?" Nick suggested.  
  
"Yeah." She smiled at him and took his hand as they walked out past the stables toward a pond that they had ridden past earlier that day.  
  
They took a seat on the small dock and lay back holding hands, just looking at the stars.  
  
Nick glanced over at Sara in the moonlight. "I love you, Sar."  
  
A wide grin spread across Sara's face. "If someone had told me a year ago that I'd be here with you right now like this, I wouldn't have believed them."  
  
"I'm glad you are." His voice was soft and Sara could tell that he was smiling.  
  
"I am too." She replied. They lay there for a while longer, with their fingers intertwined.  
  
A voice interrupted the silence. "Hey, Nicky, you better get your ass up here before dinner gets cold."  
  
Nick started to laugh. "Dan!" He sat up and glanced back at his older brother who stood there at the shoreline end of the dock with an amused grin on his face. Nick stood up and held Sara's hand as she got up.  
  
"I assume this is the Sara who we've heard so much about, because if it isn't, I'm gonna have to help her kick your ass." Dan had a smirk on his face.  
  
Nick and Sara walked toward Dan. "Sara, this is my older brother Dan. Don't mind him, he's always this obnoxious." Nick chuckled.  
  
Dan grinned as he shook Sara's hand. "So you're the one that's got my little brother so dumbstruck."  
  
Sara hoped that the darkness hid the color that rushed into her cheeks. "It's nice to meet you, Dan."  
  
"So when did you and Christy get here?" Nick queried his brother as all three of them made their way back to the house.  
  
"Just a little bit ago. Mom said you and Sara went for a walk." Dan waggled his eyebrows at Nick.  
  
Nick slugged his older brother in the arm.  
  
Sara just shook her head and chuckled softly as she squeezed Nick's hand.  
  
Dan stopped them just outside the back of the house. "Guess what?" His grin was just like Nick's.  
  
Nick raised a curious eyebrow. "What?"  
  
"Christy's pregnant." Dan was beaming.  
  
Nick pulled his brother into a bear hug and clapped him on the back. "Congratulations, bro. You're gonna be a daddy."  
  
"Don't say anything, we haven't told anyone yet." Dan whispered conspiratorially.  
  
Nick chuckled. "You got it man."  
  
As they walked into the house Dan glanced over at Sara. "So what do you see in this lunk head anyway?"  
  
She looked at Nick and started to laugh.  
  
After Dinner:  
  
For the Stokes family, the days before Thanksgiving were almost as busy as Thanksgiving itself. Hours were spent baking pies and preparing other dishes, and they drew names to see who they had to buy a Christmas present for.  
  
Sara got roped into baking pies by Maddie and two of Nick's other sisters, Amanda and Ashley. "You do realize that I've never made a pie in my entire life." Sara was at a loss to know where to start.  
  
"Sara, hon, don't worry, we Stokes women can bake a pie with our eyes closed." Amanda commented with a smile. She had Nick's coloring and shared his grin.  
  
As they instructed Sara how to make a pie crust she raised a curious eyebrow. "If you're going to mix the flour and butter together, why not just start with soft butter in the first place?"  
  
Ashley glanced over at Amanda and started to laugh.  
  
Maddie put her hand on Sara's arm and smiled at her. "It makes the crust flakier if you start with cold butter."  
  
Maddie shot Ashley and Amanda a glare. "Put a cork in it you two. I recall when Mom was teaching you to bake. You both had more than a few disasters."  
  
Sara felt a bit self conscious, but followed Maddie's directions and finally rolled out a pie crust. In the process, she managed to get flour all over herself.  
  
Nick walked in the kitchen and snuck up behind Sara, placing his hands on her waist and resting his chin on her shoulder as he looked at what she was doing. "Having fun?"  
  
Sara tried to restrain a grin and turned around to face him. "Define fun."  
  
He chuckled and leaned over to whisper in her ear.  
  
She playfully swatted at him and her cheeks turned a little pink. "That's not what I meant and you know it, Stokes."  
  
Ashley and Amanda had a little shock written on their faces. Maddie started to laugh. "Nicky, if you embarrass Sara too much, I do have a few stories I can tell."  
  
"You can tell Sara anything you want." Nick wrapped his arms around Sara and leaned down to kiss her.  
  
Sara's eyes fluttered closed and she smiled against his lips as her hands splayed out over his chest.  
  
As they broke the kiss, Nick grinned at her. "Come with me, I want to show you something."  
  
Maddie raised an amused eyebrow. "Go ahead, Sara, we can finish this when you get back."  
  
Nick took Sara's hand and as they walked out of the kitchen they could hear Amanda and Ashley making comments.  
  
"Well, I don't know what I think of her, I think he could do better."  
  
"She doesn't even know how to bake."  
  
"As skinny as she is, she'd never be able to have kids."  
  
Maddie's voice interjected. "Shut up you two. Nicky's in love with her, and I think she's adorable."  
  
Nick watched Sara's face and squeezed her hand as they walked out of the house. "Don't mind them, babe, it wouldn't matter who you are, they're just a little over protective."  
  
She glanced over at him and smiled. "Thanks for getting me out of there, baking pies isn't really my thing. What are you going to show me anyway?"  
  
Nick had a mischievous glint in his eye. "You'll just have to wait and see." He led her toward the stable and they walked down to the end of the row of stalls where Nick's dad Bill was standing.  
  
Sara glanced at Nick with a curious expression, but he just gestured toward the stall.  
  
"Ever seen anything as beautiful as that?" Bill asked as Sara looked into the stall. A newborn foal lay curled up next to her mother.  
  
The sight took Sara's breath away. She glanced up at Nick with a look of wonderment.  
  
Nick squeezed Sara's hand. "Do you want to pet her?"  
  
"You can do that?" Sara looked incredulous.  
  
Bill chuckled. "Go on." Nick looked so much like his dad, and Sara could see that Nick would look like him when he was older.  
  
Nick opened the stall and led Sara inside. He pet the mare and soothed her as Sara bent down and stroked the foal.  
  
"She's so soft." Sara looked amazed.  
  
Nick couldn't help but smile. "Better than making pie?"  
  
Sara laughed softly. "Definitely."  
  
Bill smiled and interjected. "Don't let Ashley and Amanda scare you off, Sara. They haven't realized yet that Nicky here has grown up."  
  
Sara glanced up at Bill and smiled appreciatively. "Thanks." She glanced over at Nick and grinned. "I won't." 


	14. Amazing

"That was so amazing. I didn't realize they were so small, I mean, I guess I knew they had to be, but I've just never seen one so little." Sara was literally gushing as she and Nick walked back into the house hand in hand.  
  
Nick had a grin etched on his face and he caressed the back of Sara's hand with his thumb as he held it.  
  
"What's so exciting?" Nick's sister Natalie walked into the living room as the pair entered the house. Natalie was tall and thin, her eyes were brown like Nick's, but her brown hair had a reddish hue.  
  
Nick glanced over at her. "Suzy foaled."  
  
A smile spread over Natalie's face as she watched Sara. "Pretty incredible isn't it?"  
  
Sara glanced up and smiled. "Yeah."  
  
Natalie laughed softly. "I remember the first time I saw a newborn foal, Dad couldn't get me out of the barn for a week. Of course I was six at the time."  
  
Nick chuckled. "Yeah, Natalie here is still crazy about horses, aren't you Nat?"  
  
She nodded. "What about you, Sara? Do you ever ride?"  
  
Sara smiled self consciously and glanced at Nick. "Well, I, uh."  
  
Nick squeezed Sara's hand and kissed her on the cheek before turning back to Natalie. "Today was her first ride."  
  
"Did you like it?" Natalie studied Sara's response.  
  
Sara grinned and began to talk animatedly. "It was incredible. If I had known that it would be like that, I would have ridden a lot sooner."  
  
Natalie grinned. "Well, I'm just going to have to take you out for a ride in the morning then."  
  
Nick raised an eyebrow. "Not too early, Nat. We work the nightshift remember."  
  
"You can wake me up anytime, Natalie." Sara replied. "I pretty much live on coffee anyway." She grinned, the gap in her teeth showing.  
  
Natalie glanced at her watch. "Hey, I need to get to bed myself. Jake and the boys are already sleeping."  
  
"What time is it, Nat?" Nick queried, having lost track of time while they were out with the horses.  
  
She tilted her head slightly, an amused smile playing at her lips. "11:30."  
  
Nick chuckled and glanced over at Sara. "Maybe we should try and get some sleep, babe."  
  
"Where are you guys sleeping so I know where to wake you up, Sara?" Natalie inquired.  
  
"Sara's sleeping in my old room, I'm in Dan's." Nick answered for them both.  
  
A curious expression momentarily crossed Natalie's face before she turned to Sara and gave her a hug. "I'm so glad you're here. I think you're good for Nicky." Over Sara's shoulder she mouthed to Nick. 'She's a keeper, you should marry her.'  
  
Color infused Nick's cheeks as a grin spread over his face.  
  
Natalie released Sara from the hug and leaned over and kissed Nick's cheek. "Goodnight you two."  
  
Nick raised an amused eyebrow at Sara. "Wake you up anytime? Sara Sidle I do believe you're in love with those horses."  
  
Sara giggled and slid her arms around Nick's waist. "Jealous?"  
  
Nick wrapped his arms around her back and shook his head. "Nope. They're not really your type anyway." He had a twinkle in his eye.  
  
Sara giggled again. "Is that so?"  
  
Nick nodded. "Uh, huh."  
  
Sara raised an eyebrow. "I guess I'll just have to settle for you then."  
  
Nick laughed. "Way to make a guy feel special, Sar."  
  
She leaned up and kissed him, smiling against his lips. As she pulled away, she gazed into his eyes. "Better?"  
  
Nick nodded. "Yeah." He leaned down and kissed her again.  
  
Sara pulled away and grinned at him. "I love you, you know that."  
  
"I love you too." He leaned down and kissed her again.  
  
They stood in the entry to the living room, kissing and standing in each other's embrace for quite a while, until they heard someone clearing their throat.  
  
They broke the kiss and looked in the direction of the sound. Standing there with an extremely amused expression on her face was Nick's sister Lauren.  
  
"Hey, Lauren. Didn't know you were here." Nick sounded slightly embarrassed, but didn't release his hold on Sara.  
  
Lauren laughed. "That's obvious, Nicky." She walked over toward Nick and raised an eyebrow at him. She glanced at Sara. "Sara?"  
  
Sara stepped out of Nick's embrace and extended her hand to Lauren. "Nice to meet you."  
  
Lauren smiled and hugged Sara instead. "Handshakes are too formal, glad to finally get to meet you, I've been hearing about you for a while."  
  
Sara had an amused expression on her face as she looked over at Nick. She crossed her arms in front of her body and raised a single eyebrow. "So, Nick, just how long have you been telling your family about me?" She tried to restrain a chuckle.  
  
Nick looked somewhat sheepish.  
  
Lauren looked amused at the exchange. "Sara, he's been talking about you for about three years. Haven't you, Nicky?"  
  
Sara just shook her head and laughed.  
  
A yawn escaped Lauren and she smiled as she looked at Nick and Sara. "Well, I'm going to turn in. Sam and the kids should be here in the morning. I just wanted to meet Sara." She hugged Nick and kissed him on the cheek, whispering in his ear. "Don't you dare let her get away."  
  
Nick chuckled and a hint of color flushed his cheeks.  
  
Lauren hugged Sara again and headed up the stairs. "See you guys in the morning."  
  
Nick waved. "Night."  
  
Nick and Sara made their way up the stairs and into the bedroom that Sara would sleep in.  
  
Sara turned toward Nick and raised her eyebrow. "So what did Lauren say to you to make you blush?"  
  
Nick pulled Sara into a hug. "She likes you."  
  
Sara chuckled. "Really?"  
  
"Yeah, she thinks I'd be an idiot to let you get away, an opinion shared by Natalie and Maddie, by the way." Nick added softly.  
  
"I don't think Ashley and Amanda like me." Sara mussed.  
  
Nick chuckled softly. "Sara, they have never liked anyone that any of us have dated ever. Don't pay attention to them, ok. They're both a little bitter about their own lives. What matters is that I love you, ok."  
  
"Ok." Sara was quiet for a moment. "What about your parents and Dan?"  
  
Nick chuckled. "Well, since they haven't told me, I don't know for sure, but based on their reactions, I'd say it's a fair bet they think you're pretty terrific." Nick kissed Sara's forehead and released her from his embrace, stifling a yawn. "I'm think I'm going to go to sleep."  
  
Sara's face registered momentary panic. "Uh, Nick?"  
  
"Yeah, babe?" He responded giving her his full attention as he rubbed the back of his neck.  
  
Sara's looked sheepish. "Will you stay with me? Just to sleep."  
  
He nodded with a soft smile. "Yeah, let me go change, ok."  
  
"Ok." She answered.  
  
Nick went through the bathroom into the other room to change. While he was gone, Sara slipped into a pair of pajama pants and a tank top. Nick returned a few minutes later wearing his boxers and a T-shirt. Sara crawled into the large bed and Nick turned the light off, crawling in after her. They lay there facing each other and as they talked softly, their hands linked under the covers.  
  
"Nick, I'm glad I came." Sara whispered in the darkness.  
  
"Me too." There was a smile in his voice.  
  
"Do you really think they like me?" Sara's voice sounded unsure.  
  
Nick chuckled and wrapped and arm around her, pulling her against him. "Yes, I know they like you. Even Amanda and Ashley will come around eventually."  
  
"I love you." Sara fingers splayed out over Nick's chest and she leaned over and kissed him softly.  
  
As they broke the kiss, Nick whispered. "I love you too, Sar."  
  
They drifted off to sleep, arms around each other. 


	15. Secrets

Sara whimpered in her sleep. Nick immediately woke up, concerned. "Hey, Sara, honey, wake up."  
  
Sara's eyes fluttered open. "Nick?" Her voice sounded scared.  
  
"I'm here, babe." He pulled her against him and peppered kisses on her forehead. "Did you have another nightmare, Sar?"  
  
She sniffled. "Yeah."  
  
"It's ok, I've got you." He stroked her hair.  
  
Sara started crying. "I'm so tired of this, Nick. I just want it to go away."  
  
"I know, babe. I know." He kissed her forehead again and wiped the tears from her eyes.  
  
"Nick?" She sounded fearful.  
  
Nick's voice was soft and soothing. "Yeah?"  
  
There was a hitch in her voice. "Your sister said she didn't think I could have kids because I'm so skinny."  
  
"Don't listen to her, Sara. You can do whatever you want. She's just jealous of you because she'd like to do what you've done with your life." Nick was pissed at his sisters Ashley and Amanda and in the back of his mind he planned on giving them a piece of his mind.  
  
"I can't have kids, Nick." Sara choked on a sob. "Because of the rape, the doctors say I can't have kids." She started crying again.  
  
"Sara, I'm so sorry." He held her against him and let her cry.  
  
"They hurt me so bad, Nick. They broke my pelvis. That's why I left Harvard, I was in the hospital for almost a month." Sara's voice was barely a whisper.  
  
Tears started streaming down Nick's face at Sara's confession. He had had no idea how badly she'd been hurt in the attack. His heart was breaking for the hurt that had been inflicted on her. He held her closely and cried with her until they both fell back asleep.  
  
9:00am  
  
A soft knock sounded at the door of the bedroom. Nick and Sara were still fast asleep, their arms around each other. Natalie softly opened the door and poked her head inside. A smiled played at her lips as she saw them sleeping peacefully. She really hated to wake Sara, but she had said it would be ok. She'd have to tease Nick later about the pretense of them not sleeping in the same room. "Sara." Natalie's voice was a soft whisper.  
  
Sara stirred and lifted her head from Nick's chest. A soft smile spread over her face as she looked over toward the door. "Hey, Natalie."  
  
"Do you want to go ride, or would you rather stay here a while longer?" There was a hint of amusement in her voice as she asked Sara the question, glancing at Nick's sleeping form.  
  
Sara chuckled softly. "I want to ride." She glanced down at Nick and grinned before looking back over at Natalie. "Let me just wake sleepy up and get dressed."  
  
Natalie grinned. "See you downstairs in twenty minutes?"  
  
Sara nodded. "Yeah."  
  
Natalie closed the door softly.  
  
Sara couldn't help but smile as she hovered over Nick. She softly pressed her lips against his and giggled when she felt his arms tighten around her and his lips respond.  
  
As they broke this kiss, Nick's eyes fluttered open and a smile formed on his face. "Morning, beautiful." He brushed a lock of her hair behind her ear as he caressed her face with his eyes.  
  
"Morning." She grinned. "I'm going riding with Natalie."  
  
He closed his eyes and smiled. "Yeah, I heard her."  
  
Sara smirked. "You play possum well." She poked his sides.  
  
Nick squirmed, trying to avoid her fingers. "Sara Sidle, you are asking for it." He started to tickle her in response.  
  
Sara giggled and tried to grab his hands to no avail. "Hey, no fair."  
  
Nick finally stopped when he had her pinned underneath him. A victorious grin was etched on his face. "I win." He waggled his eyebrows at her and leaned down to kiss her.  
  
Sara parted her lips and soon lost track of time as they leisurely explored the recesses of each other's mouths with their tongues. Sara slid her hands up under the back of Nick's T-shirt, trailing her fingers over the hardened muscles of his back.  
  
Neither of them was aware that someone had opened the door until they heard it close.  
  
Nick's head shot up as he glanced at the door. He looked back at Sara and smiled. "I sure as hell hope that was Natalie."  
  
Sara giggled. "I did say I'd meet her downstairs in twenty minutes and I'm not really sure how long ago that was."  
  
Nick leaned down and kissed her again before rolling onto his back and letting out a deep breath. "I'd better let you go for a ride."  
  
Sara raised a curious eyebrow. "What are you going to do?"  
  
He chuckled. "I have a feeling I'm going into the city with Dan, Peter, and Jake to get interrogated about you."  
  
Sara's jaw dropped slightly and she started laughing.  
  
He raised an eyebrow in response. "Hey, this is no laughing matter, Sidle. We have a turkey to pick up." He grinned at her. "I'm going to see if I can find you a tofurkey."  
  
Sara started laughing again as she bit her lower lip. "You really don't have to do that. It's bad enough being a vegetarian on Thanksgiving in Texas. Do they even sell those in this state?"  
  
Nick feigned a serious expression. "Well I aim to find out ma'am." His drawl was exceptionally thick.  
  
Sara playfully swatted at him before leaning over to plant a quick kiss on his lips. "I'm going to ride a horse." She was grinning as she climbed out of bed.  
  
Nick dissolved into a fit of laughter.  
  
Sara threw a pillow at him. "Better watch yourself, Stokes." She had a mischievous grin on her face as she pulled jeans and a T-shirt out of her suitcase. She disappeared into the bathroom and emerged a few minutes later, grabbing her boots and a jacket before she opened the bedroom door.  
  
Nick blew her a kiss as he lay back on the bed.  
  
As she descended the steps, she noticed that the house was fairly quiet. She stopped at the bottom of the steps and put her boots on.  
  
When she looked up, Nick's mom Audrey was standing there smiling. "Natalie is out in the stable saddling Daisy for you."  
  
Sara grinned at Audrey. "Thanks."  
  
"You sleep ok?" Audrey inquired.  
  
Sara nodded. "For the most part."  
  
"Well, enjoy the ride, I'm sure you and Natalie will have a great time." Audrey disappeared down the hallway toward the kitchen.  
  
Sara made her way out to the stable in search of Natalie. Just as she approached the door of the stable she overheard voices. Ashley and Amanda's voices. She froze in her tracks.  
  
"I can't believe it, that little tramp."  
  
"If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn't have believed it myself."  
  
"I thought they were sleeping in separate rooms."  
  
"Well, I saw them, she was practically ripping his clothes off."  
  
"What do you expect, she's from Vegas?"  
  
"Actually, I heard she was from California."  
  
"Well, it might as well be the same thing, she's just seducing poor Nicky."  
  
"He is just too blind to see that he should be with someone like Tiffany Stratton. She's from a good family. She's got the right social standing."  
  
"What are we going to do about it?"  
  
Sara heard footsteps behind her and turned around.  
  
Natalie stood there holding the reins of two horses with concern etched on her face. She too had heard what Ashley and Amanda had said. She wordlessly handed Sara Daisy's reins and motioned for her to follow her. When they were out of earshot of the stables she stopped and turned toward Sara. "Whatever they said back there is not representative of the rest of this family. Unfortunately, Ashley and Amanda inherited the bitch gene from some distant relative. I think you are the best thing to happen to Nicky in a long time, and quite honestly, whether you're ready to hear this or not, I hope he marries you."  
  
Sara wasn't sure what to say.  
  
"Oh, and I didn't tell anyone that I saw you two sleeping together if that's supposed to be a secret." Natalie replied with sincerity.  
  
Sara smiled softly. "Thanks. I think it's too late for that to be a secret. Someone walked in on us, uh, at an inopportune moment."  
  
Natalie chuckled. "I would have paid money to see the look on Nicky's face."  
  
Sara laughed. "It was pretty priceless."  
  
Natalie wrinkled her brow for a moment and considered her words carefully. "Sara, can I ask you a question? You don't have to answer it if you don't want to, I mean you just met me, but I'm curious. Why are you and Nicky trying to hide that you're sleeping together? I mean, you're both adults and it's no secret that Nicky's been with, well that he's not a virgin."  
  
Sara chuckled. "I think you and I are going to be good friends."  
  
Natalie smiled. "Want to ride and talk?" She pulled herself up on her horse, a bay gelding named Treasure.  
  
Sara nodded and after a bit of difficulty, she mounted Daisy and they headed off toward the pond. "Natalie, Nick and I aren't really trying to hide anything."  
  
Natalie raised an amused eyebrow.  
  
Sara laughed. "Ok, so maybe we felt a little weird sleeping together in your parent's house."  
  
"They wouldn't care you know." Natalie replied matter of factly.  
  
"That's what Nick said." Sara replied with a smirk.  
  
"He's right." Natalie smiled.  
  
Sara tried to restrain a grin. "It's just that we haven't slept together yet."  
  
Natalie raised a skeptical eyebrow. "So then, when I woke you up and you were sleeping on Nicky; that was my imagination?" She looked amused.  
  
Sara laughed. "Ok, I'll admit, we've slept together; we just haven't had sex yet."  
  
Natalie looked a little shocked. "This is Nicky we're talking about here?"  
  
Sara giggled. "Yeah. It's a little more complicated than that."  
  
Natalie looked at Sara curiously.  
  
Sara bit her lip nervously. "Will you promise not to say a word?"  
  
Natalie nodded and somehow Sara knew she could trust her.  
  
Sara let out a deep breath. "I was assaulted back in college and we worked this case a couple of months ago that brought it all back. I've been having nightmares. I was sleeping at Nick's for weeks before he convinced me to go see a counselor. I had another one last night, that's why he was with me this morning. It's not that we don't want to have sex, we just didn't want our first time together to be where his entire family could listen in." Sara smiled tentatively.  
  
Natalie smiled reassuringly at Sara. "I'm glad you told me. Don't worry, I won't tell anyone."  
  
"Thanks." Sara replied smiling, knowing that she'd found a true friend in Natalie. 


	16. Caught

Nick lay in bed for a little while thinking about Sara and what she had shared with him in the middle of the night. He hurt for her and wished that there was something tangible he could do to make the nightmares go away. He knew from personal experience though, that it never would go away entirely, she would just learn how to deal with it better. He pulled himself out of bed and wandered into the bathroom to take a shower and change his clothes. After he had cleaned up, he wandered downstairs. His mom was in the kitchen putting together a side dish for the Thanksgiving dinner the next day and he tried to sneak up behind her and plant a kiss on her cheek.  
  
He had almost succeeded when Audrey chuckled. "Morning, Nicky."  
  
Nick grinned as he kissed his mom on the cheek. "Morning, Mom."  
  
Audrey raised an eyebrow at her youngest child. "Sleep well?"  
  
Nick nodded but his brow furrowed slightly.  
  
"Tell me about it." She continued with her food preparations as she studied him.  
  
Nick let out a deep breath. "It's Sara."  
  
"Everything ok between you two?" Audrey asked gently.  
  
Nick nodded and smiled. "Yeah, she is the most amazing woman I've ever met."  
  
Audrey laughed softly. "Nicky, you look good in love."  
  
A wide grin took over Nick's face. "Thanks."  
  
Audrey looked at Nick curiously. "So what's the problem?"  
  
Nick studied his mom and furrowed his brow again. "It's complicated."  
  
She chuckled. "Life is seldom simple, Nicky."  
  
"I'm not sure I can tell you everything without asking Sara if it's ok." Nick looked conflicted.  
  
"Then you need to ask her permission. She's out riding with Natalie. I'm sure they wouldn't mind if you joined them." Audrey smiled at Nick and reached over and tousled his hair like she did when he was small.  
  
"Ok, I will. Tell Dan, Jake, and Peter that they're going to have to either go get the turkey without me, or wait to interrogate me about Sara until I get back." Nick grinned as he headed for the door. "Oh, and ask them to see if they can find a tofurkey for Sara."  
  
Audrey shook her head and laughed. "Ok, Nicky."  
  
As he neared the stables he overheard Ashley and Amanda talking. He slowed his steps.  
  
"What was he thinking bringing her here anyway?"  
  
"Yeah, it's not like she marriage material."  
  
"She's probably only in it for the sex, you should have seen them when I walked in."  
  
"That thought just makes me sick, I would have said something."  
  
"I mean she's the kind that'll forget to use protection so she can trap him into marrying her."  
  
"Can you see her pregnant? She's probably anorexic as it is."  
  
"She'd probably freak out if she gained an extra ounce."  
  
"Tiffany would be so much better for him."  
  
"Maybe you should call her and have her stop by."  
  
"Maybe I will."  
  
Nick was pissed. In light of Sara's confession to him last night, his anger built as he listened to his sisters' malicious gossip. He had enough. When he rounded the corner into the stable, the southern charm of Ashley and Amanda was laid on thicker than icing on a cake.  
  
"Nicky, hello, hon." Ashley gushed.  
  
"Just where is that dear sweet girlfriend of yours?" Amanda added.  
  
Nick glared at his sisters. "Cut the crap you two. I heard every word you just said. You have absolutely no right to talk about me or Sara that way. You don't know her, and quite frankly you don't know me either. Ashley, just because you got pregnant to get Chuck to marry you, does not mean that every other woman on the planet is going to do the same thing. And Amanda, I'm sorry that your marriage to Jack didn't work out, but that doesn't give you a right to try and make everybody miserable. As for your friend Tiffany and any of your other society friends, forget it. I'm not interested. I love Sara. I've never met anyone I've ever loved more in my entire life, and you had better get the hell used to that idea because I'm pretty sure I'm going to marry her someday. And let me make one other thing clear, stay the hell out of my bedroom, what I do in there is absolutely none of your damn business."  
  
Ashley and Amanda stood there with their mouths hanging open in disbelief at what Nick had just said.  
  
"Bravo, Nicky." Natalie stood behind Nick smiling. She and Sara had returned from their ride and they had been bringing the horses back into the stables when Nick had begun his tirade at Ashley and Amanda.  
  
Sara just stood there dumbfounded holding Daisy's reins. No one had ever defended her like that; no one had ever told her that they loved her that much. She was in shock.  
  
Nick locked eyes with Sara and smiled at her.  
  
Sara didn't move, she nervously played with Daisy's reins.  
  
Nick turned and walked over to Sara enveloping her in his arms and whispering in her ear. "I love you so much, Sara."  
  
A smile spread across Sara's face and she slid her arms around Nick's waist. She rested her head on Nick's shoulder. "I love you too, Nick."  
  
Nick leaned down and kissed her soft and deep.  
  
Daisy nickered and nudged Sara.  
  
Nick and Sara stepped apart giggling. Nick raised his eyebrow. "I guess we should put the horse up."  
  
Natalie interjected. "Actually, she's the reason we came back so soon. She's pulling up a little lame."  
  
Nick raised a concerned eyebrow. "Which leg?"  
  
Natalie pointed at Daisy's right front leg.  
  
Nick pulled her hoof up and took a look to make sure she didn't have anything lodged in her shoe. Not seeing anything he put her leg down. He shook his head at Natalie.  
  
"I'll take care of the horse, why don't you two go for a walk or something now that the bitch patrol has left." Natalie had a grin on her face. Ashley and Amanda had skulked out of the stable while Nick had kissed Sara.  
  
Nick looked a little surprised at the comment, but then started laughing. "I don't know that I would have come up with that name, but it sure as hell fits."  
  
Sara tried to restrain a grin as she handed Daisy's reins over to Natalie.  
  
Nick looked into Sara's eyes and reached for her hand. "Want to go for a walk?"  
  
She nodded silently.  
  
They laced their fingers as they walked. Neither of them said anything for a while. Finally, Nick broke the silence. "I meant what I said, I hope it doesn't freak you out."  
  
Sara chuckled softly and cast a sidelong glance at him. "Honestly, it does a little, I mean everything about us has taken me a little by surprise."  
  
Nick squeezed her hand. "I love you, Sara. I've never loved anyone the way I love you."  
  
Sara blushed. "I heard that."  
  
"I'm not going to rush you though." Nick assured her.  
  
Sara pulled Nick to a stop under a tree near the shoreline of the pond and faced him, a smile playing at her lips. "Nick, I said it only freaked me out a little."  
  
Nick looked a little dumbfounded.  
  
Sara released his hand and cupped his face in her hands. "I love you." She pulled his face towards hers and kissed him softly. As she pulled away, they grinned at each other.  
  
"I'm not going to ask you to marry me quite yet." Nick looked into her eyes and caressed her face with his thumb.  
  
Sara chuckled. "Good, because I'm not sure I could handle that yet."  
  
Nick's eyebrows shot up. "Yet?" He had a hopeful expression on his face.  
  
She smiled and nodded. "Yeah, yet." 


	17. Texas Starlight

It had been a long day and the entire Stokes clan had turned in early. Nick and Sara were the only ones still up and they decided to take a walk out to the stables to see how the foal was doing. Sara couldn't get over how small a horse could be and Nick found that very endearing. "You must have loved growing up here, Nick." Sara sounded relaxed.  
  
"It did have its advantages." He stood behind her, his hands on her hips as they watched the foal nuzzle its mother. He leaned over and kissed her on the cheek and let out a deep breath.  
  
Sara turned in his embrace and raised a curious eyebrow. "What's up?"  
  
Nick chuckled softly. "You know me so well."  
  
Her fingers played at the collar of his shirt as she looked up into his eyes.  
  
Nick's brow furrowed. "I'm so sorry for how Ashley and Amanda have been treating you. If I had known they would be this malicious, I would have warned you. I didn't think they'd stoop even lower than they did this afternoon by having Tiffany what's her name stop by."  
  
Sara looked somewhat amused. "Well, they obviously underestimated you; because you made it pretty clear you weren't interested."  
  
Nick laughed at the memory. When Ashley had disappeared for a while and had returned with Tiffany in tow, Nick was livid. He did the only thing he could think of at the time to get the message across, which was to pull Sara into a passionate embrace in front of his entire family. Afterward, his mother had taken him aside and asked him if there was something going on that she should know about. Nick's only response was that she should ask Ashley and Amanda. Audrey Stokes nodded, understanding immediately what was going on, and proceeded to take her two grown daughters into the kitchen and give them the tongue lashing of their lives. Neither of them had said a word since and had gone to bed exceptionally early to get away from the glares of the rest of the family who couldn't believe their juvenile behavior.  
  
The rest of the Stokes clan seemed to love Sara. The nieces and nephews that Nick had talked so much about had peppered her with questions about her job and Nick's niece Celia had asked her if she was going to be their aunt. Sara's face had flushed red at her question.  
  
"Hey." Sara's voice brought Nick back to the present.  
  
He grinned at her. "Want to see something?"  
  
She tilted her head slightly. "Depends on what it is."  
  
He chuckled. "Do you trust me?"  
  
She rolled her eyes. "Of course."  
  
"Then come with me." He took her hand and let her to a ladder at the end of the row of stalls. He climbed up and motioned her to follow.  
  
As she climbed up, she noticed that they were climbing into the darkened hay loft. "What are you going to show me?"  
  
Nick just shook his head. "You just have to trust me."  
  
She followed him in the darkness as he walked to the far side of the loft and swung open a door facing out into the pasture. The Texas sky was ablaze with stars. "Oh." Sara's voice had a hint of wonder in it.  
  
"I used to come up here to think when I was a kid. It got a little chaotic at times in the house. It's sort of a special place." Nick squeezed Sara's hand as they took a seat on a loose pile of hay.  
  
"Nick, it's beautiful." Sara wrapped her arms around his waist and lay her head against his shoulder.  
  
"You're beautiful, Sara." He leaned down and kissed her softly capturing her face with his hands.  
  
As Sara responded to the kiss, she parted her lips and they began to slowly explore each other's mouths. They slowly reclined until they lay in the hay lost in their kiss.  
  
Nick tried to roll them over so that he was on top of Sara, but as she lay flat on her back, she let out a yelp and broke the kiss. Nick's eyebrows shot up in concern. "Sar, what's wrong? Did I hurt you?"  
  
Sara started to giggle. "I think my neck has just been impaled with a piece of hay. Whoever came up with the phrase 'roll in the hay' obviously never tried it. I can't imagine being naked in this stuff."  
  
Nick started to laugh and waggled his eyebrows. "I'd sure like to see you naked in this stuff, but you're right, it's not comfortable."  
  
"Are you speaking from personal experience?" Sara looked somewhat amused.  
  
He raised an eyebrow. "A gentleman never kisses and tells."  
  
"We're not talking about kissing here, Nicky, we're talking about getting it on in the barn." Sara had a mischievous tone in her voice.  
  
"Ok, you want to know." He queried her.  
  
She nodded. "Uh, huh." Her fingers traced his lips.  
  
"Guilty as charged, but I'd rather kiss you than talk about that." Nick continued, leaning down to kiss her again.  
  
Sara pushed him away, ignoring the confused expression on his face and stood up. She turned toward him and extended her hand. "Are you coming? We have to get up early tomorrow and we need to hit the hay, but not this hay."  
  
Nick took her hand and stood up. They both had hay sticking out of their hair, but in the darkness it was difficult to dust it all off. They climbed down the ladder and headed back into the house. They took their shoes off before ascending the stairs so they wouldn't wake anyone up. Nick kept silent, mulling over if he'd done something to make Sara push him away. They both walked into Sara's room and closed the door. Nick studied her for a moment before speaking. "I'm going to turn in." He turned toward the bathroom door.  
  
Sara reached out and grabbed his arm. Her eyes searched his.  
  
"Do you want me to stay, Sar?" He was concerned that she might have another nightmare.  
  
She nodded wordlessly.  
  
"Ok, I'm just gonna go get changed." He began to turn toward the door again.  
  
"No." Sara whispered.  
  
Nick turned around to see what she meant.  
  
As he turned, Sara pulled her shirt over her head and tossed it on the floor. She stepped toward him and looked into his eyes. "I want you, Nick."  
  
"Are you sure?" His eyes searched hers even as she slid her arms up his chest and around his neck.  
  
She nodded and leaned up and placed a searing kiss on his lips. Nick crushed her against him and walked them back towards the bed, releasing her long enough to remove his own shirt. Sara fumbled with Nick's zipper and helped him out of his pants before removing her own. They fell back on the bed clothed only in their underwear. That too soon joined the scattered pile on the floor as they began touching, caressing, tasting, and arousing each other's bodies.  
  
They collapsed against each other bare flesh against bare flesh, blissfully happy and deliciously sore. They fell into a peaceful sleep with their arms and legs tangled together. 


	18. Good Morning

As Sara's eyes fluttered open and she lifted her head off of Nick's chest, she began to giggle. Nick still had pieces of hay stuck in his hair. She leaned down and pressed her lips to his, smiling when she felt him respond and tighten one arm around her waist. His other hand slid down and caressed her bare butt. A shiver went up her spine at the sensation and she moaned into his mouth.  
  
As they broke the kiss, Sara smiled. "You bring a whole new meaning to taking a roll in the hay, Stokes." She reached over and plucked a piece of hay out of his hair.  
  
Nick chuckled and reached up and picked of piece of hay out of hers. "I still wouldn't mind seeing you naked in the hay loft though."  
  
Sara smiled and rested her head on his chest again, slowly drawing lazy circles on Nick's stomach. She noticed the haphazard scattering of clothing on the floor along with pieces of hay and let out a sigh.  
  
Nick trailed his fingers up and down her back. "Last night was incredible, Sar."  
  
Sara lifted her head to meet his gaze and smiled. "I would have to agree." A mischievous grin spread across her face as her hand started making circles lower and lower on his abdomen. "Want to see if we can top that?"  
  
Nick let out a moan as Sara's hand softly grazed him. He slid his hands down her back and cupped her butt, rolling them over so she was pinned beneath him. "Hell yeah." He leaned down and pressed a sensuous kiss against her lips as his hands began to caress her body.  
  
A soft knock sounded at the door.  
  
Nick and Sara broke their kiss, amused smiles on their faces.  
  
"Sara?" It was Natalie's voice through the door.  
  
Nick raised an eyebrow at Sara. She smirked back and glanced at the door. She called out, "Just a minute, Natalie."  
  
With a grin on his face, Nick rolled off of Sara and watched her as she crawled out of bed. His eyes looked at her appreciatively as she picked up Nick's discarded shirt and put it on to cover up her naked body. She glanced back at him grinning as she walked over and cracked the door. "Hi, Natalie."  
  
Natalie took in Sara's appearance, Nick's shirt, the pieces of hay stuck in her hair, a tiny round bruise on her neck, and started to chuckle. "Sorry I woke you."  
  
Sara cleared her throat. "Uh, I was awake." A bit of color flushed her cheeks.  
  
Natalie tilted her head to one side and tried to restrain an amused grin. "I figured that. Uh, just tell Nicky that the guys are wondering if he's planning on joining them for Turkey Bowl."  
  
A voice sounded from inside the room. "Tell them I'll be out shortly, I just need to find some clothes first since Ms. Sidle there is wearing mine."  
  
Sara blushed furiously.  
  
Natalie grinned, clearly amused. "Glad to see you finally don't care what anybody around here thinks. Just tell Nicky that I'll tell the guys he'll be out eventually."  
  
Sara smiled and shut the door, turning around to face Nick who stood just a few feet behind her wearing nothing but a grin.  
  
He raised an eyebrow at her as she looked up and down the length of his body. "Can I have my shirt back?"  
  
"And cover up that fine body? I don't think so." Sara had a devilish grin on her face as she shook her head.  
  
Nick tilted his head to the side. "Well that doesn't seem fair now does it? I mean why should you get to hide that gorgeous body of yours?"  
  
Sara giggled. "Well, you'll just have to do something about that now won't you?" She tried to move past him.  
  
Nick waggled his eyebrows at her and grabbed her around the waist as she let out a loud squeal. Nick started planting kisses against her neck and Sara finally turned in his embrace allowing him to capture her lips with his as he began to walk them back toward the bed. As they stood at the edge of the bed, Sara slid her arms around Nick's neck and he cupped her butt to lift her onto the bed when the door burst open.  
  
Ashley stopped dead in her tracks, mouth hanging open. "Oh, my, I'm so sorry, I heard someone scream. Nicky, I thought you were outside."  
  
Nick glanced over his shoulder, seriously amused by his sister's obvious discomfort at finding him naked in Sara's bedroom. "Uh, Ashley, could you close the door, Sara and I are a little busy here."  
  
Ashley mutely nodded and closed the door. She could be heard muttering on the other side of the door. "They're going to kill me."  
  
Sara started to giggle. "I have a feeling she's not going to come in here again anytime soon."  
  
Nick raised an eyebrow as he met her gaze. "I sure as hell hope not, or I will kill her." Nick glanced down at Sara. "You're still wearing my shirt."  
  
She smirked. "Well you haven't done anything about it yet."  
  
Nick waggled his eyebrows at her and slid his hands up under the shirt, grabbing the hem in the process and pulling it over her head. "Now, that's better." He grinned devilishly as he pushed her back onto the bed and crawled up after her.  
  
Sara giggled.  
  
Nick grinned. "I seem to recall a challenge to top what we did last night."  
  
Sara nodded.  
  
"Now, where were we?" He tilted his head slightly before covering her body with his and placing a passion filled kiss on her lips. It quickly escalated and they soon found themselves tangled together, with grins on their faces as they tried to catch their breaths from making love.  
  
Later that Morning:  
  
Sara held a steaming mug of coffee in her hands as she watched Nick, his brother, brothers-in-law, and nephews playing football in the Stokes family annual Turkey Bowl.  
  
Natalie stood next to her grinning. "Nicky sure is something, isn't he?"  
  
Sara nodded. "You can say that again."  
  
Natalie chuckled. "I sure hope he does marry you."  
  
Sara tried to restrain a grin. She glanced around the porch to make sure no one else was within earshot. "We talked about it last night."  
  
Natalie's eyebrows shot up. "Really?"  
  
Sara nodded. "Not for a while yet though, I'm not quite there yet."  
  
"Your secret's safe with me, but you have no idea how happy that makes me." Natalie couldn't contain her grin.  
  
Sara chuckled softly. "Did you hear that Ashley walked in on us after you left this morning?" She looked amused.  
  
Natalie's jaw dropped. "You have got to be kidding."  
  
Sara shook her head. "I think getting an eyeful of Nick's backside was a little too much for her to handle."  
  
Natalie started laughing. "I would have paid money to see the look on her face."  
  
Sara grinned. "It was pretty priceless."  
  
Natalie's expression turned more serious. "You know, she and Amanda haven't always been that bitchy. Before they both had marital problems, they were actually rather pleasant. A bit snobby maybe, but pleasant. They'll come around, Sara." She smiled.  
  
"I sure hope so." Sara replied letting out a sigh.  
  
A loud cheer went up in the end zone of the makeshift football field of the front yard and Nick held up the football and grinned at Sara. "This one's for you, Sara! I love you!"  
  
She grinned as she yelled back. "I love you too!" 


	19. Apology

As Nick was heading back into the house after playing football with the other guys, Ashley intercepted him with a sheepish expression on her face. "Nicky, can I talk to you?"  
  
He nodded and followed her out towards the stables. They stopped in front of the open doors of the stable. "What's up, Ash?"  
  
Ashley smiled tentatively at the use of her nickname. "I wanted to apologize to you. I guess, I just keep thinking of you as my baby brother and I'm really sorry. I've been acting like a bitch."  
  
"No argument there." Nick raised an eyebrow and rested his hands on his hips.  
  
She bit her lower lip as she continued. "I don't know what else to say except sorry, Nicky."  
  
Nick let out a deep breath and leveled a gaze at his sister. "You know, if you would just give Sara a chance, you'd love her." A hint of a smile played at his lips.  
  
Ashley lowered her gaze and rested her forehead in her hand. "I'm really sorry about walking in on you like that. I'd understand if you'd want to kill me."  
  
Nick chuckled softly. "Unfortunately, I'd probably leave some evidence behind, so I don't think I'll kill you, unless you do it again."  
  
Ashley glanced up and noticed the amused expression on Nick's face. "Will you forgive me, Nicky?"  
  
He nodded. "You need to apologize to Sara. You have no idea how much what you and Amanda said hurt her. If you ever do that again, I might not forgive you. I love her more than anything."  
  
Ashley nodded, her eyes were downcast. "I know you do and I'm really sorry about bringing Tiffany by. I'll talk to Sara, Nicky. I'm really sorry."  
  
Nick pulled his older sister into a hug. "One more thing, Ash. Don't ever come in my room again. You're lucky all you saw was my ass, next time you might get more than you bargained for."  
  
Ashley chuckled softly. "Don't worry, Nicky. If anything could convince me that you've grown up, that did it."  
  
"Just talk to Sara, ok?" Nick whispered as he released her from the hug.  
  
"I will." She smiled as they walked back to the house.  
  
Sara's Room:  
  
Sara had just finished changing her clothes when she heard a soft knock at her door. She walked over to the door and opened it, a little surprised to see Ashley standing there.  
  
Ashley looked nervous as she studied Sara. "Can I talk to you for a minute?"  
  
Sara regarded her warily, unaware of the conversation that Ashley had just had with Nick. "Yeah, come in."  
  
Ashley shut the door behind her and shifted her weight nervously from one foot to the other. "I wanted to apologize to you. I've been an absolute bitch to you since you got here, and I'm really sorry."  
  
Sara raised a curious eyebrow, wondering where this sudden change of heart came from.  
  
Ashley continued. "I know that Nicky loves you, and I guess I tend to be a little overprotective."  
  
Sara scoffed and rolled her eyes.  
  
"Ok, I'm a lot overprotective." Ashley conceded.  
  
Sara nodded.  
  
"I didn't give you a chance or try to get to know you, and I was wrong. I'm really sorry, Sara. I'd like to start over. Do you think you can forgive me?" Ashley looked sincere.  
  
Sara wasn't quite sure what to think. "You know, Ashley, Nick is an adult. He can make his own decisions. You need to stop treating him like he's a baby. If you hadn't noticed, he's a grown man who I happen to be in love with."  
  
"I know, Sara. I'm sorry, I really am. And as for this morning, I wouldn't have busted in like that if I had thought you guys were, uh, I mean." She couldn't quite bring herself to say Nick and sex in the same phrase.  
  
Sara chuckled. "Having sex?"  
  
Ashley nodded and started laughing. "I'm sorry, it's just a little shocking to think of your baby brother doing the nasty."  
  
Sara laughed in spite of herself. "I'm an only child, so I can't quite relate, but I can imagine."  
  
Ashley smiled at Sara. "Will you forgive me, Sara? I'd really like to start over and get to know the woman that Nicky's in love with."  
  
Sara studied her for a moment and then nodded, a smile forming on her lips. "Yeah, I'd like that, Ashley."  
  
Later, In the Living Room:  
  
"How much longer until that turkey is done, Audrey?" Bill Stokes bellowed good naturedly over the football game he was watching with Nick and Sara.  
  
"Honey, you can keep asking, but it's not going to make this bird cook any faster." Audrey called back with a hint of amusement in her voice.  
  
Nick leaned over to Sara and whispered. "They do this every year."  
  
She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek before standing up. "I'm going to go see if they need any help in the kitchen." She grinned at him over her shoulder as she disappeared down the hallway.  
  
"Ok." Nick grinned back.  
  
Bill chuckled. "She's a neat gal, Nicky."  
  
"Yes she is." Nick chuckled with a twinkle in his eye.  
  
"Think maybe she's the one?" His dad queried seriously.  
  
Nick nodded. "I don't think, Dad, I know she is. It's just a matter of time."  
  
"Good. We like her." His dad grinned.  
  
"Did I just hear what I think I heard, little brother?" Dan had walked in just as Nick and his dad had begun talking about Sara.  
  
Nick chuckled as he glanced over at his older brother who sat down on the couch to catch the football game they were watching. Nick didn't say a word, he just grinned.  
  
"When are you going to ask her?" Dan quizzed Nick.  
  
Nick glanced at his brother. "We're not quite there yet, but we talked about it a little bit last night."  
  
Dan waggled his eyebrows at Nick. "Oh, is that what they're calling the horizontal mamba these days in Vegas? Talking?"  
  
Nick chuckled and slugged his brother in the arm. "This was before that."  
  
Thanksgiving Dinner:  
  
Eating Thanksgiving with the Stokes clan was a production to say the least. Ashley's husband Chuck, whom she was separated from, showed up at the last minute with their three kids, Michelle, Brad, and Seth in tow, wanting to reconcile. Amanda was in a bad mood and ended up storming out over something that Ashley said to her during the salad course in defense of Nick and Sara. Natalie and Jake's oldest son Aiden asked Nick if he and Sara were doing it, and his younger brothers Austin and Zach asked what 'it' was? Celia, Lauren and Sam's oldest daughter, piped up saying that she thought that Nick should marry Sara, that her mommy, Aunt Maddie, and Aunt Natalie had said so. Their other three children Ashton, Michael, and Lacey, nodded in agreement while smiling at Sara. If that wasn't enough, Maddie and Peter's twins Jenny and Josh, started throwing green beans at each other. Throughout the meal, Nick held Sara's hand and they grinned at each other wondering what the rest of the nightshift crew would think if they could see this.  
  
Audrey and Bill Stokes exchanged a knowing glance, fairly certain that Sara Sidle would soon be joining the Stokes clan on a permanent basis.  
  
CSI Lab Las Vegas:  
  
"Have you heard from Nick or Sara, War?" Catherine queried as they processed samples from the scene of a drive by shooting.  
  
Warrick shook his head. "Nope. I just know that Sara was a little nervous about meeting them all."  
  
"Think they'll scare her away from Nick?" Catherine asked curiously.  
  
"I guess we'll have to wait and see, but I have a feeling that those two have it bad for each other, so I doubt it." Warrick chuckled in response. 


	20. Day After Thanksgiving

"You know, Sar, the look on your face was priceless." Nick grinned at Sara as they walked toward the pond hand in hand. Even now, Sara turned a little red. "I suppose I should be glad all of your nieces and nephews like me so much, but it embarrassed the hell out of me." She glanced over at him and laughed. "Oh, and I thought Natalie and Jake were going to crawl under the table when Aiden asked you if we were doing 'it'."  
  
Nick laughed and shook his head. "Well, I for one am glad that we finally did do it, sleeping next to you has been sheer torture."  
  
Sara had a smirk on her face. "Torture, huh? I could have stayed in Vegas."  
  
Nick grabbed her around the waist and kissed her neck. "I am so glad you didn't."  
  
Sara giggled. "Me too."  
  
Nick released her and took her hand once again as they continued walking. "So, I still can't believe Ashley."  
  
Sara grinned. "Yeah, that kind of took me by surprise."  
  
"She hasn't always been so protective of me, Sar." Nick tried to explain. "Even though they don't know exactly what happened to me when I was nine, I think they know something happened. After that they just seemed to hover over me a bit more. I think that's part of the reason why I moved to Vegas."  
  
Sara squeezed his hand. "I love you."  
  
Nick grinned. "I love you too."  
  
Sara giggled. "You know, if Warrick could see us right now, I think he'd laugh."  
  
"You're probably right, but only because he's jealous." Nick responded smiling. "He needs a woman."  
  
"That's what everyone said about you." Sara observed.  
  
Nick squeezed her hand. "I didn't need just any woman. I needed you."  
  
Sara grinned. "I wish I knew I needed you sooner."  
  
Nick stopped, pulling Sara against him. "We can sure make up for lost time." He leaned down and kissed her.  
  
She giggled against his lips.  
  
He pulled away and raised a curious eyebrow.  
  
She looked amused. "Oh, I was just thinking that we seem to get interrupted everywhere we go."  
  
He chuckled.  
  
As if on cue, Celia, Ashton, Jenny, and Aiden came walking across the pasture toward them to let them know that it was time for dessert.  
  
After Dessert:  
  
Nick took Dan aside. "So, you've got it set then?"  
  
His brother grinned and nodded. "We sure do. Natalie is going to make sure the ladies are gone all day. Dad and the rest of the guys are going to stay here and watch all the kids. I told them that you and I wanted to have some bonding time, so no one should have a clue what we've got going on."  
  
Nick flashed his brother a conspiratorial grin. "Thanks man. Hey, when are you and Christy going to go public with what you told me earlier?"  
  
Dan grinned. "I think now is as good a time as any."  
  
11:00pm:  
  
"Nick, I'm going to turn in, Natalie said we're leaving at 5:00am. I didn't even know malls opened that early." She leaned up and kissed Nick softly.  
  
"I'll be up in a few minutes. I love you." Nick whispered.  
  
Sara grinned as she went upstairs. She changed into a tank top and pajama pants and crawled into bed, falling asleep almost immediately.  
  
Nick came up a short time later and grinned as he took in her sleeping form. He quickly stripped down to his boxers and crawled into bed next to her, grinning as she snuggled up next to him in her sleep. He fell into a deep peaceful sleep holding Sara in his arms.  
  
The Day After Thanksgiving:  
  
The Stokes women were up early. They were skilled shoppers and the day after Thanksgiving being the biggest shopping day of the year was something that had turned into a family tradition. They would shop early in the morning and in the afternoon they would stop at one of the premier day spas in Dallas for a massage.  
  
Sara looked slightly panicked at the thought of spending all that time in the mall, but she wanted to get to know Nick's sisters better, so she went with them. Nick kissed her long and deep before she went outside to get into Lauren's minivan. Nick and Natalie exchanged a knowing glance as the women left.  
  
The Stokes men had a different mission. They were going to stay home and watch all of the kids and whatever football games were on TV. Dan and Nick, however, had other plans. On the pretense of having some brother bonding time, they headed out. Only Natalie knew what they were up to.  
  
Tiffany & Company, Dallas:  
  
"So, it's about cut, color, and clarity?" Nick queried the salesman.  
  
He nodded. "The most important thing is whether you think she'll love it, but we only sell the finest quality diamonds here at Tiffany's."  
  
Nick let out a deep breath. "It's a good thing the ladies are going to be out all day; it might take me that long to pick something out."  
  
Dan chuckled at him. "Nicky, Sara's going to love whatever you pick out for her. Any idiot can tell she's crazy about you."  
  
Nick grinned and turned his attention back to the array of diamond engagement rings. He really wanted to have a ring so when he was ready to propose, he'd be prepared. He studied the rings for a long time and finally his eyes rested on one that he thought seemed to suit her personality. "Can I see that one?" He glanced up at the salesman.  
  
The salesman smiled as he pulled the ring out for Nick's inspection. "Excellent choice, sir. This is a ¾ carat princess cut diamond in a platinum setting."  
  
As Nick studied the ring, nerves hit his stomach and he let out a deep breath as he felt tears stinging his eyes at the emotion that this ring stirred within him. He glanced up at the salesman again. "How much?"  
  
The man wore a modest smile. "This one is $4,500."  
  
Nick glanced over at Dan for a moment.  
  
"Don't look at me, bro, she's going to love whatever you get her." Dan grinned at him.  
  
Nick turned back to the salesman and grinned. "I'll take it."  
  
"Very good. I'll just wrap this up for you." The salesman turned and placed the ring in a dark blue velvet box before putting it into a signature Tiffany's sky blue box and tying a white ribbon around it. He placed it in a Tiffany's bag and then took Nick's credit card to make the transaction.  
  
As Nick took the bag, he let out a deep breath and glanced over at his brother, grinning like a fool. "I just bought an engagement ring." 


	21. Back to Work

As Sara stood in front of her locker getting ready for the beginning of shift, a smile played at her lips. She knew he was behind her even before he had said a word or touched her. She had become intimately familiar with the nuances of the scent that was just Nick. "Hey, cowboy."  
  
A soft chuckle sounded near her ear as a pair of arms wrapped themselves around her waist. "How did you know it was me, babe?"  
  
Sara turned in his embrace and rested her hands against his chest, raising a single eyebrow. "No one else smells that sexy."  
  
He grinned at her. "Did you sleep ok?"  
  
She nodded, but a coy smile played at her lips. "I would have slept better with you, but I still want to conquer this damn thing."  
  
He nodded, understanding. "I missed you too."  
  
Sara tilted her head to the side, a smile playing at her lips. "How much time until shift starts?"  
  
Nick chuckled. "We've got a little time."  
  
"Good." She grinned as leaned up and kissed him softly.  
  
Nick smiled against her lips before deepening the kiss.  
  
Sara slid her arms around Nick's neck and leaned back against the bay of lockers as they made a leisure exploration of each other's mouths with their tongues.  
  
An amused Warrick rested his shoulder against the door frame of the locker room and cleared his throat.  
  
Nick's eyebrows went up and his eyes opened for a moment as he glanced over at Warrick without breaking the kiss.  
  
Warrick started laughing. "So I take it you had a good trip to Texas."  
  
Sara giggled and opened her eyes as she broke the kiss. She noticed a smudge of lipstick on Nick's lips and reached up to brush it off with her thumb before glancing over toward the doorway. "Hi, Warrick."  
  
"Yeah, it was a great trip." Nick grinned and finally released his hold on Sara.  
  
Sara straighten her shirt and put her ID badge on and closed the door to her locker.  
  
Warrick smiled at Sara. "Welcome back, Sara. It'll be nice to have you back in the mix again."  
  
She grinned. "Thanks."  
  
Warrick raised an amused eyebrow. "Is that a hint of a twang in your voice?" He chuckled.  
  
Sara glanced at Nick and tried to restrain a laugh. "If there is, it's his fault." She looked back over at Warrick and smirked. "You try spending almost a week with the entire Stokes family and see if you don't start sounding Texan."  
  
Warrick chuckled and glanced over at Nick as he responded to Sara's comment. "Well, maybe you should join the family."  
  
Sara's face turned red and she breezed past Warrick toward the break room without a word.  
  
Nick raised an eyebrow at Warrick. "My nieces and nephews kept asking her if she's going to be their aunt the entire visit."  
  
"Oh." Warrick replied apologetically. "I didn't realize it was a sore subject."  
  
Nick tried to restrain a grin. "I didn't say it was a sore subject, it's just a little too soon to push the issue."  
  
Warrick regarded Nick's statement for a moment. "So are you saying that you're that serious about Sara?" He was slightly dumbfounded.  
  
Nick nodded. "Yeah, I am."  
  
Warrick narrowed his focus. "How serious?"  
  
Nick glanced around and spoke softly. "I bought a ring in Dallas."  
  
Warrick's eyebrows shot up. "Damn. When are you going to give it to her?"  
  
Nick chuckled. "When the time is right. I just wanted to be ready."  
  
Warrick shook his head for a moment as if to clear his thoughts. "Wow."  
  
Nick grinned. "Hey, we have assignments to get."  
  
They headed out the door toward the break room.  
  
Nick's Crime Scene:  
  
"How did Sara do meeting your whole family?" Catherine queried Nick as she dusted for prints.  
  
Nick grinned. "Surprisingly well. Two of my sisters made a big scene, but once we got past that, things seemed to smooth out. Although, my nieces and nephews asked some seriously embarrassing questions."  
  
Catherine had a wry smile on her face. "I can imagine."  
  
"Thanksgiving dinner in particular was notable." Nick chuckled.  
  
Catherine stopped what she was doing and raised an eyebrow. "Are you going to share?"  
  
Nick put a piece of evidence into a bindle and grinned. "My nephew Austin ask me if Sara and I were doing it, then his two brothers asked what 'it' was."  
  
Catherine laughed a deep throaty laugh.  
  
"I thought my sister Natalie and her husband Jake were going to crawl under the table and die." Nick wore a bemused grin. "However, my niece Celia informed me that she thought I should marry Sara, an opinion shared by her mom Lauren as well as several of my sisters and all my nieces and nephews."  
  
"Oh, I bet Sara loved that." Catherine could just imagine how much that would freak Sara out. A smile played at the edges of her lips as she looked over at Nick. "So, Nicky?"  
  
"Yeah, Cath?" Nick replied as he put another piece of evidence into a bindle.  
  
"Did you answer your nephew's question?" Catherine had an amused grin on her face.  
  
He chuckled as he glanced back at Catherine. "That was on a need to know basis and he did not need to know. He's twelve."  
  
"You are, aren't you?" Catherine remarked with a smile.  
  
"Huh?" Nick had turned his attention back to the task at hand. As he realized what she was asking, an embarrassed grin spread across his face with a hint of color.  
  
Catherine laughed. "You two are good for each other."  
  
Nick glanced up at her. His expression was a bit more serious. "I think I'm going to marry her, Cath."  
  
Catherine looked a bit shocked. "I didn't realize things were quite that serious."  
  
Nick grinned. "They're getting there. She doesn't know it, but I bought her an engagement ring when were in Dallas. I wanted to be prepared when I propose to her."  
  
Catherine just looked at him with her jaw slightly agape. "Wow."  
  
Sara's Crime Scene:  
  
"So I'm thinking that the killer left the knife on purpose." Sara glanced up at Warrick to see what he thought of her theory.  
  
"It's plausible, but I guess we'll have to wait to see what the lab reports say." Warrick replied taking a photo of the knife. As he finished he glanced at Sara. "You want to know what I think?"  
  
Sara nodded, waiting to hear what he thought the scene was telling them.  
  
"I think you're seriously in love with Nick." Warrick looked amused.  
  
Sara tried to restrain an embarrassed smile. "That doesn't have anything to do with our crime scene."  
  
Warrick chuckled. "Well, we're done processing our crime scene."  
  
Sara began to silently gather the evidence that they collected into bindles.  
  
"How did you like Nick's family?" Warrick queried her.  
  
She glanced up and smiled. "I loved them."  
  
Warrick folded his arms in front of him and looked down at Sara. "That boy has it bad for you, Sidle."  
  
She grinned in spite of herself. "The feeling's mutual." 


	22. Moments

Sara had already left the lab by the time Nick finished up. He was disappointed that he hadn't gotten to see her before he went home. As he pulled into his driveway, a grin spread across his face. Sara's Denali was there.  
  
He opened the door expecting to see her in the kitchen or on the couch, but it was quiet. He set his keys and cell phone down and glanced around. Her purse was sitting on the coffee table and her shoes were next to the couch. "Sara?"  
  
He kicked his shoes off and wandered down the hall looking for her. "Sar?"  
  
She didn't answer.  
  
As he opened his bedroom door the reason became evident. She had fallen asleep atop his comforter, hugging one of his pillows. He gently sat down on the bed and bent down to kiss her on the cheek, brushing her hair away from her face.  
  
Her eyes fluttered open and she smiled at him. "I wondered when you'd get home."  
  
He raised a curious eyebrow. "You doing ok?" He stroked her hair.  
  
"Yeah, I just missed you." She yawned. "I guess I was tired too."  
  
He chuckled. "I guess so. Are you hungry?"  
  
Sara's stomach grumbled in reply. She giggled. "I guess I am." She sat up and leaned over to kiss him softly.  
  
Nick caressed her cheek with his thumb as he broke the kiss. "Why don't we eat and then I'll show you how much I missed you too."  
  
Sara cupped his hand with hers and looked into his eyes. "Promise?"  
  
Nick chuckled. "Definitely." He pulled his hand away from her face and took her hand in his, leading her towards the kitchen.  
  
Several Hours Later:  
  
"Nick?" Sara was snuggled next to Nick under the comforter on his bed.  
  
He stroked her hair as he glanced at her. "Yeah?"  
  
"You know I love you, don't you?" There was a hint of apprehension in her voice.  
  
"Yeah, I do. I love you too." Nick had a serious expression on his face.  
  
Sara let out a deep breath and drew imaginary patterns on Nick's chest with her fingers. "About what you said when we were in Texas. I mean about wanting to marry me."  
  
"What about it, babe?" Nick wasn't sure where she was going with this, but he felt nervous.  
  
"I can't have kids. You love kids." Sara propped herself up and looked into his eyes. "I know that's important to you."  
  
Nick cupped her face with his hand and stroked her cheek with his thumb. "Sara, I love you. I love you because of who you are, not because of what a doctor told you. You're the one I want to be with. If we get married and we never have kids, I have what I want, that's you."  
  
Sara glanced down at his chest. "Are you sure?"  
  
Nick chuckled softly. "Hey, I've never been more sure of anything."  
  
She met his gaze again.  
  
"Sara, lots of couples assume when they get married that they'll have kids and then they find out they can't and it tears them apart. We know we shouldn't expect it. If we want kids, there are other options. We can adopt. We see hellish situations everyday where kids are the victims, kids like that need parents who love them." Nick tried to assure her.  
  
"I love you, Nick." Sara's voice was soft and she laid her head back on his chest.  
  
"I love you too, Sara." Nick's fingers trailed down her back.  
  
Sara propped herself up again and tilted her head to the side. A smirked played at the edges of her mouth. "Uh, Nick, don't ask me to marry you yet."  
  
Nick laughed. "Ok, I won't."  
  
A Week Later at the Lab:  
  
Nick sat peering into a high powered microscope trying to determine the origin of an unusual fiber when he felt a pair of arms wrap around his waist and a chin rest on his shoulder. An amused smile played at his lips. "Greg, really, Sara's going to get jealous."  
  
"Greg, huh?" Sara sounded amused.  
  
Nick turned his face towards her and kissed her softly. "Hey, babe."  
  
"You paged me, what's up?" She asked as she let him go.  
  
Nick grinned at her. "Natalie and Jake are coming to town this weekend."  
  
Sara grinned. "How long are they staying?"  
  
Nick chuckled. "Just the weekend. Their boys are staying with my parents. Mom and Dad have to work on Monday."  
  
Saturday Night:  
  
"We haven't been out like this in years. This is a great place, Nicky." Natalie grinned at her little brother across the table.  
  
"Glad you like it." Nick grinned. He glanced over at Sara who was looking out at the dance floor a bit wistfully. "Sara, do you want to dance?"  
  
She glanced at him with a smile on her face. "I'm not that good."  
  
Nick chuckled. "I didn't ask you if you were good at it, I asked you if you wanted to dance."  
  
Sara glanced at Nick's shoes with amusement. "Well, I warned you, if those aren't steel toed shoes, it's your own fault."  
  
Natalie couldn't help but laugh and Jake tried to hold a straight face as he watched Nick and Sara interact.  
  
Nick raised an amused eyebrow at Sara before taking her hand and leading her out onto the dance floor. The music had slowed a bit and Nick pulled her against him resting his hands on her hips as they slowly danced. He leaned over and whispered in her ear. "You look gorgeous in that dress."  
  
Sara laughed softly and slid her arms around his neck. "You only think that because I hardly ever wear one."  
  
"You might have a point, but you're still gorgeous." Nick grinned.  
  
As they moved to the music, Sara began to play with the hair at the base of his neck. Nick slid his hands down from her hips to caress her butt, pressing her against him. Instinctively, Sara ground into him, Nick returned the favor. As the music continued, they teased each other with their bodies and they were both becoming extremely aroused.  
  
"You have no idea how much I want you right now, Sara." Nick's voice was husky as he whispered in her ear.  
  
"Yes I do." Sara's voice was equally husky. "Follow me." She took his hand and led him off the dance floor toward the restrooms. Between the restrooms was an unattended cloak room. Sara led him into it behind a rack of coats. She leaned against the wall and pulled him against her, placing a searing kiss on his lips.  
  
Nick immediately cupped her breast with one of his hands and began to caress it.  
  
Sara moaned into his mouth. She reached between them and unfastened his zipper causing Nick to groan.  
  
Nick's other hand pulled at the hem of her dress and he slid his hand beneath it, pulling at her underwear.  
  
Sara mumbled against his lips. "Nick, I want you." She could feel that he was fully aroused and she was ready.  
  
Nick cupped her butt with both of his hands and lifted her up, pressing her against the wall.  
  
She wrapped her legs around him as he joined their bodies and began to move against her.  
  
Their cries of pleasure were muffled by the loud music of the club.  
  
A short time later, they returned to the table where Natalie and Jake sat sipping a couple of mixed drinks. Natalie shot Jake a knowing look as Nick and Sara sat down. The pair looked a little flushed and slightly disheveled. Jake looked amused. Natalie leaned over toward Nick and in a voice loud enough that Sara could hear she whispered. "Nicky, your fly is still open." 


	23. Moods

It was the week before Christmas and it seemed that despite the tinsel that decorated various corners of the lab and the heavy metal holiday tunes emanating from Greg's stereo in the DNA lab, everyone was tired and in a foul mood. Everyone had pulled at least two double shifts in the previous week. Nick and Sara hadn't seen a lot of each other and they were in an especially foul mood.  
  
Sara swore under her breath as she went to pour herself a cup of coffee and found sludge in the bottom of the pot instead. She began muttering under her breath as she looked around for the extra coffee pot and some fresh coffee. She found the pot, but the bag of coffee didn't have nearly enough coffee for an entire pot, let alone a cup. It was the straw that broke the camel's back.  
  
She walked over and sunk down on the couch, burying her head in her hands as she tried to stifle a stream of tears which had begun to flow down her face.  
  
Greg walked in and noticed her sitting there. "Sara? Are you ok?"  
  
She glanced up and tried to hide that she'd been crying. "The damn coffee is all gone." She wiped at her eyes.  
  
Greg raised a concerned eyebrow. "Uh, I'll make you some of my special blend." He walked over, retrieving his coffee from its hiding place, and began making a fresh pot of coffee. He glanced at Sara with concern on his face as he waited for the coffee to brew. When it was done, he poured her a cup and walked over and handed it to her, sitting on the couch next to her. "Everything ok?"  
  
She tried to smile through her tears. "I'm just tired like everyone else, Greggo. Thanks." She began to sip the coffee and relax.  
  
Nick walked by and noticed Sara sitting there with Greg looking upset. He walked into the break room and regarded her with concern. "Everything ok, babe?"  
  
"Well, Nick, you're not really my type." Greg quipped, trying to lighten the mood.  
  
Sara laughed in spite of herself.  
  
Nick grinned as he saw her smile.  
  
She met Nick's concerned gaze. "I'm just tired and the coffee was all gone."  
  
Greg stood up. "Time, tide, and DNA wait for no man."  
  
Nick and Sara exchanged a quizzical glance at Greg's comment.  
  
Greg glanced back at Sara. "Get some sleep, Sara."  
  
Nick sat down on the couch where Greg had been just a few moments before. He put an arm around Sara's shoulder and pulled her against him. "How many doubles have you pulled this week, Sar?"  
  
She looked over at him with a slightly confused expression on her face. "I'm not really sure."  
  
Nick reached over and caressed her face with his fingers before planting a soft kiss on her lips. "Hey, why don't you lay down for a little while. I'll come back in a half hour and wake you up."  
  
Sara was too tired to argue. As Nick stood up, she swung her legs up on the couch and lay down. She was asleep in a few minutes.  
  
Nick made his way down the hall in search of Grissom. Nick found him in his office. He knocked softly.  
  
Grissom glanced up.  
  
"Hey, Gris, can I talk to you for a minute?" Nick looked like he had something serious on his mind.  
  
Grissom motioned for him to come in.  
  
Nick shut the door and sat down. He rested his elbow on his knees and studied his boss for a moment. "Grissom, I need to take a night off, and so does Sara."  
  
"Nick, you know how busy we are. One of you can take a night off, but I can't be down two people this close to the holidays." Grissom looked tired. He had been pulling double shifts just like everyone else.  
  
Nick let out a deep breath. "Gris, Sara really needs a night off and I really need to be with her."  
  
Grissom looked somewhat amused, somewhat annoyed. "Nick, I'm not interested in your sex life."  
  
Nick chuckled. "Grissom, it's not about that, seriously."  
  
Grissom looked at Nick over the rim of his glasses. "Then what is it?"  
  
Nick's expression was serious. "I just walked into the break room and she was crying because the coffee was all gone."  
  
Grissom leaned back in his chair and took off his glasses. "That's not like Sara."  
  
"I know. Look, we're both on the schedule to work Christmas and New Year, can we please have a night off?" Nick was almost begging.  
  
"Let me make a couple of phone calls and see if I can get someone from days to cover." Grissom answered.  
  
Nick stood up. "Thanks, Gris."  
  
Grissom paged Nick a short time later to let him know that both he and Sara could have the following night off. 


	24. Surprises

Nick let Sara sleep a lot longer than half an hour. "Hey, babe, wake up, shift's over, it's time to go home."  
  
Sara's eyes fluttered open and she looked confused. "Why did you let me sleep so long?"  
  
Nick smiled as he knelt by the couch. "You needed it."  
  
Sara shook her head. "Nick, I had stuff I needed to finish." She started to get up from the couch.  
  
Nick put his hand on her arm. "It's taken care of, Sara. C'mon, I'm taking you home, I got Grissom to give us tonight off."  
  
Sara tilted her head to the side. "How the hell did you do that?"  
  
Nick chuckled softly. "I just told him you needed the night off."  
  
"And he just said ok? Like hell he did. We've all been pulling double shifts. What the hell did you tell him?" Sara was upset.  
  
"That you were upset the break room was out of coffee, that you needed some sleep." Nick replied furrowing his brow.  
  
Sara narrowed her gaze at him and crossed her arms in front of her body. "Nick, I don't need you to be my knight in shining armor. I've gotten by with a hell of lot less sleep than this."  
  
Confusion clouded Nick's face. "I'm sorry."  
  
"Dammit, Nick, I don't want someone else handling my cases. I'm good at what I do. Just because I'm tired does not give you the right to go tell Grissom I need the night off." Sara was mad.  
  
"Sara, you do need a night off, whether you realize it or not. You may be damn good at your job, but you're not doing yourself or anyone any good by not getting any rest." Nick was upset that she refused to take care of herself.  
  
"Oh, and so you're going to baby sit me then. Is that how you got Grissom to let both of us have the night off, or is it that you just want to spend time with me?" Sara's voice was getting loud.  
  
"I'm not going to apologize for wanting to spend time with you, Sara. I've hardly seen you for the last week and a half and it's killing me." Nick's smile was gone and his voice had begun to increase in volume as well.  
  
Sara let out an annoyed grunt. "Can you think about something other than sex for once, Nick?"  
  
"Me? It takes two to tango, honey. And by the way, why do you assume that the only reason I want to spend time with you is because I want to have sex with you?" Nick was beginning to get agitated. "I happen to be in love with you."  
  
As their conversation had gotten gradually louder several people had stopped to watch. Grissom had been headed down the hallway and dispersed the small crowd as he entered the break room. "Nick. Sara."  
  
They glanced up and stopped arguing.  
  
"Before you both say something that you're going to regret, go home. Get some sleep. I don't want to see either of you for the next 36 hours." Grissom was quiet but firm.  
  
Sara shot Nick a glare and got up in a huff, breezing past him and heading for the locker room.  
  
Nick looked frustrated and glanced at Grissom apologetically as he made his way out of the break room and down the hall toward the locker room. As he entered, Sara had her back to the door and he could tell by the movement of her shoulders that she was crying. He walked over and tentatively put his hand on her shoulder.  
  
She turned around and buried her head in his chest, wrapping her arms around his waist as he enveloped her in a hug. "I'm so sorry, Nick. I love you so much."  
  
"I know you do, babe. It's ok. Let's go get some sleep, ok?" Nick hugged her close.  
  
"Ok. Will you just hold me while I sleep? I just need you to hold me, Nick." Sara's voice was a whisper.  
  
"Yeah, honey, I will." He answered her softly.  
  
Twelve Hours Later:  
  
Sara's eyes fluttered open. She felt much more rested and much less agitated than the last time she had woken up. She glanced over at Nick who was still asleep and smiled. She couldn't believe how fortunate she was to have this man in her life, and suddenly, she knew that she didn't want to be with anyone else, ever.  
  
That Night:  
  
"So what are we going to do with our night off?" Sara was wearing a pair of faded blue jeans and a red ribbed T-shirt.  
  
"I thought maybe we could go take a little drive. I have something I want to show you." Nick replied with a smile. He was similarly attired in a pair of worn blue jeans and a charcoal gray ribbed shirt.  
  
They were standing in Nick's kitchen and had just finished eating dinner and he was doing the dishes.  
  
"Ok." She grinned at him and leaned over and kissed him softly. "I love you."  
  
"I love you too." He grinned in response. He finished washing the last dish. "I'm just going to go grab my jacket." He disappeared into the bedroom and grabbed his black leather jacket out of the closet. He slipped it on and when he emerged, he found that Sara had put her jacket on as well. He took her hand and they headed out to his Denali.  
  
As he threaded the vehicle through traffic and out of town, Sara glanced at him quizzically. "Where are you taking me?"  
  
He grinned. "You'll just have to trust me."  
  
Sara chuckled softly to herself and enjoyed the ride.  
  
After driving for a while, Nick pulled the car off the main road and drove down a dirt road, coming to a stop at the edge of a bluff with a view of Vegas in the distance. He glanced over at Sara. "C'mon."  
  
He got out of the Denali and she followed. As he climbed up onto the hood to sit, she followed.  
  
She glanced over at him. "Is this what you wanted to show me?"  
  
He grinned at her. "Part of it." He took her hand. "This is as close to Texas stars as I can get in Vegas."  
  
Sara smiled remembering the view of the stars on the Stokes ranch. "It's beautiful out here."  
  
Suddenly, Nick felt a little nervous. "Sara, I have something I want to give you. I was going to give it to you on Christmas, but we both have to work, so I want to give it to you now."  
  
Sara's face fell. "Nick, I wish I'd known you wanted to exchange gifts tonight, I would have brought yours with me."  
  
Nick chuckled. "It's ok, honey, it really is." He leaned over and kissed her softly.  
  
Sara smiled as he pulled away. "What did you get me?"  
  
Nick let out a deep breath and looked into her eyes. "I picked this up when we were in Texas. I hope you like it." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a sky blue box tied with a white satin ribbon.  
  
As Sara took it from his outstretched hand, she suddenly felt nervous. She knew the box was from Tiffany's. She glanced up at him with an unreadable expression as she untied the white ribbon. As she took the lid off of the sky blue box, she stopped and looked at Nick. Her eyes were wide.  
  
Nick smiled softly and reached in and pulled out the dark blue velvet box. He slowly opened it and held it in his hand.  
  
Sara glanced down and let out a gasp at the ring sitting in the box.  
  
Nick squeezed her hand and she looked back up at him. "Sara, I love you. I can't imagine spending my life without you in it. Will you marry me?"  
  
Sara's jaw dropped and she just sat there for a moment letting his words sink in. In the next instant, she threw her arms around his neck laughing uncontrollably with tears running down her face.  
  
Nick still held the ring box in his hand and a smile played across his lips. "So does that mean you will?" There was a hint of amusement in his voice.  
  
She pulled away from him smiling as she wiped the tears away. "Yes, I want to marry you."  
  
Nick cupped the side of her face with the palm of his hand as he placed a sweet tender kiss on her lips. The emotion of the moment overwhelmed him and he felt tears forming in his eyes.  
  
As they broke apart, Nick realized he still held the ring. He started to laugh. "Do you want to put it on?"  
  
Sara nodded and held out her left hand as Nick pulled the ring from it's velvet box and placed it on her finger. She leaned in and kissed him again, murmuring against his lips. "I'm the happiest woman in the world, Nick Stokes." 


	25. She Said Yes

Sara couldn't sleep. She didn't want to sleep. She was completely spellbound at the diamond engagement ring that rested on her left hand. She Sara Sidle was engaged. Engaged to Nick Stokes. Wow. The thought made her smile.  
  
She picked up the phone and punched in the familiar number. It rang three times before he picked up.  
  
"Stokes." Nick's voice was sleepy.  
  
"Hey." Her voice was full of the smile that spread across her face.  
  
"Hey." His voice was still sleepy, but she could tell he was smiling.  
  
"I get to marry you." She giggled.  
  
Nick laughed softly. "I know. I get to marry you."  
  
"I love you." Sara was giddy.  
  
"I love you too." Nick sounded amused. "Do you want to come over?"  
  
"Uh, no, I don't want to keep you from sleeping." Sara knew that if she went back over to Nick's neither of them would get any sleep.  
  
"Honey, I'm not sleeping now." Nick chuckled.  
  
"Sorry, Nick." Sara sounded apologetic.  
  
"It's ok, but if you're going to wake me up, I'd rather have you here where I can kiss you." Nick replied gently.  
  
Sara giggled. "I'll let you go back to sleep."  
  
"Ok." Nick was smiling. "Sara?"  
  
"Yeah?" She was staring at her ring playing with the way it refracted the light from her lamp.  
  
"Try and get some sleep, that's the whole reason why Grissom gave us the night off in the first place." He sounded a bit concerned.  
  
"I will." Sara smiled and ended the call. The problem was, she didn't feel any more tired than she had when she had gotten home. She glanced around her apartment, looking for something to keep her occupied. She had already cleaned it, and before she and Nick had gone to Texas for Thanksgiving, she had cleaned all the closets and boxes that she hadn't looked into in a while. She let out a deep breath and glanced back down at her ring. She giggled. A plan formed in her mind and she pulled herself off the couch.  
  
Two Hours Later:  
  
Nick woke to the sensation of a pair of soft lips pressing themselves against his. The scent that was distinctly Sara tantalized his senses as he responded to the kiss and snaked his arms around her waist.  
  
The Lab:  
  
Sara stood in the break room sipping a cup of coffee waiting for the rest of the team to assemble for their assignments. She could not contain the grin that spread across her face.  
  
Grissom wandered in looking somewhat preoccupied. He glanced up at her and noticed that she seemed much less agitated than she was the last time he'd seen her. "Looks like you got some rest."  
  
Sara tried to stifle a chuckle. "Enough." She held her coffee cup in her left hand and wondered if Grissom would noticed the addition to her hand as she sipped her coffee.  
  
He didn't seem to. His mind was clearly elsewhere.  
  
Sara set her coffee down on the counter and slid her left hand into the pocket of her jacket as Warrick sauntered in.  
  
He smiled at her. "Hey, girl."  
  
She grinned at him. "Hey, War."  
  
Warrick studied her. Something about her looked different, but he couldn't place it.  
  
Catherine looked a little distracted as she came in talking on her cell phone. "No, Lindsey, you need to finish your homework before you can watch TV. Don't argue with Aunt Carol. I'll see you in the morning, honey. I love you too." She rolled her eyes slightly as she hung up the phone and glanced around the room. She raised a curious eyebrow at Sara. "Where's Nick?"  
  
Warrick and Grissom glanced over at Sara waiting for her to respond. She smiled. "He was going to swing by and pick up some donuts."  
  
Warrick chuckled. "What did he do?"  
  
Grissom shot Warrick a look.  
  
Catherine chuckled. "Must feel guilty taking a night off."  
  
Sara didn't say anything. She just picked up her coffee with her right hand and took a sip.  
  
That got Grissom's attention. He may not have noticed the ring, but he did notice that she changed hands to hold her coffee cup. He studied her for a moment.  
  
Nick walked in with a huge grin on his face and set a box of Krispy Kreme donuts on the table in the middle of the break room. "Hey, guys, I got you a little something."  
  
Greg walked in, somehow knowing that donuts had entered the building. "I knew I smelled something."  
  
Grissom raised a curious eyebrow. "Maybe we should use you instead of scent dogs, Greg."  
  
Greg chuckled. "Well, if you're trying to track down Krispy Kreme donuts, I'm your man."  
  
Nick walked over to Sara and leaned toward her, whispering. "Do they know yet?"  
  
She shook her head grinning as she leaned up and kissed him letting her hands rest against his chest.  
  
Nick smiled against her lips.  
  
Greg opened the box of donuts and his jaw dropped. He glanced over at Nick and Sara and started to laugh. "She did?"  
  
The rest of the crew looked at each other quizzically. None of them had looked in the box yet.  
  
Warrick glanced over and started to laugh. "Alright, it's about time."  
  
Catherine glanced over at the box of donuts and raised an eyebrow before looking over at Nick and Sara, a smile spreading over her face.  
  
Grissom was a little confused. He walked over and looked at the box of donuts. Glazed Krispy Kreme donuts had been formed into a cake with frosting that had three words on the top. 'She said yes.' He glanced up and looked at Catherine. "I don't get it. What was the question?"  
  
Greg, always the one to state the obvious, glanced at Grissom and then gestured to Nick and Sara. "She said yes."  
  
"What was the question?" Grissom queried the room.  
  
Warrick cleared his throat and gestured toward Sara who held her left hand in the air, wiggling her fingers as she displayed the diamond engagement ring.  
  
Grissom's jaw dropped. "I didn't realize you two were that serious."  
  
Catherine rolled her eyes. "Get real, Gil, you'd have to be blind not to notice it."  
  
Grissom glanced at Catherine and smirked. "I knew they were serious, just not that serious." He turned his attention to the two young CSIs and a smile formed on his face. "Congratulations." He raised and eyebrow at Nick as he shook his hand. "You could have just told me that this was the reason you wanted the night off." 


	26. Sharing the News

Nick lay on his couch trying to relax. It had been a long shift and he was tired, but he wasn't ready to go to sleep yet. His fiancée, that thought alone made him grin, he was engaged to Sara Sidle, his fiancée was supposed to come over any minute. He wasn't sure what was taking her so long. They had planned to tell his parents this morning that they had gotten engaged.  
  
He heard the sound of a key in the lock and decided to play possum, closing his eyes. As the door creaked open, he tried to restrain a grin. He heard keys being plopped down unceremoniously on the counter and a jacket being shrugged off and tossed onto an armchair.  
  
"Nick?" She hadn't spotted him on the couch yet, or at least didn't think he was asleep. She laughed softly.  
  
Nick felt the corners of his mouth turning up into a smile at the sound of her laughter. He tried to relax his mouth so she wouldn't know he was awake.  
  
"Nick." Her voice was slightly sing songy, and teasing.  
  
He could hear her approach the couch with soft footfalls. He felt his mouth start to smile again.  
  
"I know you're awake." She straddled him on the couch and rested her weight on his thighs.  
  
Nick still feigned sleep.  
  
Sara giggled softly and her fingers lightly trailed up his chest and then splayed out across it as she leaned forward and began to lightly kiss his jaw, working her way to his earlobe.  
  
Nick snaked his arms around her waist as she continued planting kisses on his neck.  
  
She whispered against his neck. "I knew you were awake."  
  
He chuckled and reached up to cup her face bringing her lips to his. As he broke the kiss, they looked into each other's eyes grinning. "We should call my parents."  
  
Sara had a devilish grin on her face. "It's still early." She leaned down and pressed her lips to his again, grinding her body against him suggestively.  
  
Nick groaned into her mouth and slid his hands under her shirt.  
  
Stokes Ranch, Dallas, Texas:  
  
The shrill ring of the telephone broke the early morning quiet of the home of Bill and Audrey Stokes. They sat at the breakfast nook in the kitchen enjoying each other's company and cup of coffee before they both drove into Dallas for a long day in court.  
  
Bill smiled at his wife. "I'll get it, you go ahead and finish your breakfast."  
  
She grinned at him. They had been married for 45 years and she still felt her stomach flip when he smiled at her.  
  
"Bill Stokes here." His voice sounded like the professional he was. He glanced over at his wife and smiled. "Nicky."  
  
Audrey raised her eyebrows curiously. Usually when Nick called them it was before he started work in the evening. Rarely did he call in the morning unless it was something important. Audrey grinned at Bill, she was fairly certain she knew the nature of the phone call.  
  
Bill's face lit up as he nodded at his wife. "Son, that's wonderful. Would you like to talk to your mother?"  
  
Audrey took the phone from her husband's outstretched hand. "Hi, honey."  
  
"Hi, Mom, how are you this morning?" His smile was evident in his voice.  
  
"Your father and I are doing fine, just getting ready for work." She glanced over at Bill and chuckled softly. "How are you doing, sweetheart?"  
  
A soft chuckle came across the phone line. "Mom, I asked Sara to marry me and she said yes."  
  
Audrey could not contain her pleasure. "Oh, Nicky, honey, that's wonderful! Have you set a date yet? Where will the wedding be?"  
  
Nick laughed. "Mom, we haven't gotten that far yet, we're still trying to let being engaged settle in a little."  
  
"Honey, let me talk to Sara." Audrey wanted to congratulate her daughter- in-law to be and welcome her to the family.  
  
"Hello." Sara's voice was somewhat tentative.  
  
"Sara, honey. I'm so glad for you and Nicky. I just had a feeling about the two of you. Nicky says you haven't set a date or anything yet, but you just let me know if you need help with anything."  
  
Sara laughed softly. "I'll let you know. I'm sure it was obvious the day after Thanksgiving that the mall isn't exactly my favorite place."  
  
"Welcome to the family, sweetie." Audrey's smile came through in the sound of her voice.  
  
"Thank you." Sara wasn't sure what else to say. She had been overwhelmed by the Stokes family when she had first met them, but by the time she'd left Texas and had gotten to know them a bit, she loved them.  
  
Nick came back on the line. "Mom, I know you and Dad have to get to work. We'll call again later. Don't tell anyone yet, ok. I want to at least tell Dan and Natalie myself."  
  
She chuckled. "Ok, honey. We love you and we're so happy for you and Sara."  
  
"Thanks." Nick grinned and hung up the phone. He chuckled at Sara who still rested atop him, albeit in a little less clothing than she had earlier. Nick had managed to remove her bra without actually removing her shirt, and Sara had managed to unbutton his shirt, leaving his bare chest exposed. Her pants were down somewhere around her ankles as were his, stopped only by the fact that they both still had their shoes on. That fact had at first frustrated them both, but then the humor of the situation had hit them and they dissolved into laughter. Sara had suggested that they call his parents before they tried to rekindle the mood. He raised an eyebrow in disbelief. "You want me to call my parents when I've got my pants around my ankles and a half naked gorgeous woman perched on top of me and keep a straight face?" He looked at her incredulously.  
  
She had just nodded at him innocently and then a mischievous grin had spread across her face. "I mean if you're not up for it, I could go home."  
  
Nick had shaken his head and grabbed her butt. "Oh, no, you're not going to tease me like that. Hand me the phone."  
  
She giggled and reached over him to grab the cordless phone, dragging her body against him not too subtly.  
  
He squeezed her butt and nuzzled her neck with his lips in response as he groaned. "Sara, you're killing me."  
  
She raised an eyebrow at him and handed him the phone. "I'm just as horny as you are, baby, so call."  
  
So Nick talked to his parents, keeping one hand firmly on Sara's ass the entire time.  
  
She bit her lip as he handed the phone to her and mouthed that his mom wanted to talk to her. She could feel his burgeoning desire for her building beneath her.  
  
He trailed his fingers along the inside of her thigh suggestively as she talked to his mom.  
  
When she handed the phone back to him she returned the favor.  
  
As Nick ended the call, he chuckled at her. "You are a very evil woman, Sara Sidle."  
  
She raised an eyebrow and ground against him hard, he was fully aroused, as was she. "But you love me."  
  
"Yes, I do." And with that he gripped her hips and lifted her up slightly so they could join their bodies together, despite the fact that they still had their pants tangled around their ankles. 


	27. Going to the Chapel

It was Christmas Eve and the CSI night shift crew was in the middle of one of the worst multiple homicides Vegas had seen in some time. A family of seven had been slaughtered as they slept. At first glance it appeared to be a murder suicide; however, they wanted to completely certain. The last thing they needed was to be wrong about something of this magnitude.  
  
They had almost finished processing the house when Nick approached Sara, who was packing up the bindles of evidence she had collected. He knelt next to her and waited for her to look up.  
  
"What?" She looked at him curiously.  
  
He furrowed his brow for a moment before he continued. "Sara, I don't want to wait." The tragedy of the crime they were investigating had underscored in his mind how short life is.  
  
An understanding smile spread across her face. "I know, I don't either." She had reached the same conclusion.  
  
Nick smiled. "Warrick and Catherine?"  
  
She nodded. "Yeah, let's ask them."  
  
"You about done here?" He asked her.  
  
She nodded. "Yeah, let me just put this in the Denali. Meet you outside in about five minutes, ok?"  
  
He nodded. "Yeah." A grin spread across Nick's face. "I love you, Sara."  
  
She chuckled. "I know, I love you too."  
  
He glanced around and then leaned in and kissed her softly before standing up and heading outside.  
  
Warrick and Catherine stood at the rear of Catherine's Denali discussing the case and stowing the evidence they had collected.  
  
Nick walked over to them and waited silently as they finished their conversation.  
  
"I think it was the husband. His wounds are consistent with a self inflicted gunshot wound." Warrick recounted.  
  
"Yes, but so are the wife's." Catherine remarked.  
  
Nick thought aloud. "Maybe they're both responsible."  
  
Warrick and Catherine looked up. Warrick remarked. "Maybe they are, I hadn't thought of that. I guess we won't know until after autopsy."  
  
Nick grinned as he saw Sara approach. "Did you ask them, Nick?"  
  
He shook his head and grinned. "I wanted to wait for you, babe." His tone was like that of a man hopelessly in love.  
  
Warrick and Catherine exchanged a bemused grin. Catherine cleared her throat. "What were you going to ask?"  
  
Sara grinned. "Nick and I want to get married after shift, and we wanted to see if you'd be our witnesses."  
  
Warrick raised an eyebrow. "What's the rush, you just got engaged a few days ago." He turned his attention to Nick. "What about your family?" He glanced over at Sara. "You're not pregnant are you?"  
  
Nick replied for both of them. "We just don't see a reason to wait, and no, Sara is not pregnant. As for my family, they can throw us a reception in Texas if they want to."  
  
"We just want to be together, life's too short." Sara answered with a smile, leaning her body against Nick's.  
  
Nick wrapped his arms around her waist from behind and leaned his chin on her shoulder. "So will you?"  
  
"I would love to, but Lindsey is going to be chomping at the bit to open her presents." Catherine chuckled. "You know this being Christmas, a child's biggest fantasy."  
  
"You could bring her." Nick's voice was a bit sing songy.  
  
"Ok." Catherine grinned. "But you owe me."  
  
Warrick chuckled. "I'm in."  
  
Sara giggled as Nick began peppering kisses on her neck and mumbling. "I get to marry you."  
  
Catherine and Warrick started to chuckle.  
  
Grissom walked up with a curious expression on his face. "What's going on? Don't you need to get the evidence back to the lab?"  
  
Catherine raised an eyebrow. "Nick and Sara are getting married."  
  
"I know that. They announced their engagement a few days ago." Grissom replied a little perplexed.  
  
Warrick clarified. "No, they're getting married after shift."  
  
"What?" Grissom looked shocked and then turned his attention toward Nick and Sara. "Is this true?"  
  
Nick stopped nuzzling Sara's neck and nodded. "Yeah, it's true, we just don't feel like waiting, don't really see a reason to." Sara just grinned.  
  
An uncharacteristically wide smile spread across Grissom's face.  
  
Several hours later:  
  
Sara murmured against Nick's neck. "I can't believe we're married." She was almost asleep as they drove back from the most modest wedding chapel they could find on the Strip.  
  
Nick chuckled softly. "Believe it, Sara, we're married." He was still trying to wrap his mind around that thought also. In addition to Warrick, Catherine and Lindsey, Greg and Grissom had joined them as well.  
  
Neither of them had worn anything special, just what they'd had in their lockers. Nick was clad in a pair of dark slacks and a charcoal gray ribbed sweater. Sara had worn a pair of low rise black slacks and a red ribbed sweater. They knew that the only ones who would be disappointed that they hadn't had a large wedding was Nick's family and they knew that they would get over it.  
  
As Nick pulled into the driveway of his house, now their house, he noticed that Sara was asleep. He grinned and gently woke her. "We're home, Mrs. Stokes."  
  
A sleepy grin spread across Sara's face. "I'm Mrs. Stokes."  
  
Nick climbed out of the Denali and walked around to the passenger side of the vehicle. He scooped Sara up and carried her to the front door.  
  
"I can walk, Nick." She chuckled.  
  
"I have to carry you over the threshold, Sar." Nick grinned. "It's tradition."  
  
Sara giggled. "It's the only thing about our relationship that's been traditional."  
  
"Are you complaining?" Nick teased.  
  
"Nope." She smiled and rested her head against his shoulder as he opened the door and carried her inside.  
  
He closed the door with his foot and headed directly to the bedroom.  
  
"Nick?" Sara murmured with her eyes closed.  
  
"Yeah, Sara?" Nick gently deposited her onto the bed.  
  
"I'm too tired." She blinked at him apologetically, barely able to keep her eyes open.  
  
Nick chuckled and pulled her shoes off before kicking off his own. "I know. I am too." He climbed onto the bed and pulled her against him as he let out a yawn. "We'll have plenty of time later, Grissom said we didn't have to come in tonight."  
  
Sara giggled sleepily. "That was awfully nice of him. I sure wouldn't want to miss out on the wedding night."  
  
Nick laughed. "Well, we have all day to rest up for the wedding night. I don't want to miss it either."  
  
Sara giggled again softly and snuggled closer to Nick.  
  
Nick kissed Sara's forehead and they drifted off to sleep in each other's arms, Mr. and Mrs. Nick Stokes. 


	28. Bliss

Sara's eyes fluttered open and a grin spread across her face as she watched Nick sleeping beside her. He had eyelashes that most women would be jealous of. She leaned over and kissed him softly.  
  
He opened his eyes sleepily and grinned. "Hey, wife."  
  
"Hey, husband." Sara snuggled closer to him.  
  
"Merry Christmas." Nick kissed Sara's forehead.  
  
She giggled. "Merry Christmas."  
  
Nick's stomach rumbled.  
  
Sara's face reflected amusement. "Hungry?"  
  
Nick chuckled. "Yeah, we didn't eat anything before we got married."  
  
Sara leaned in and kissed him again. Nick responded and wrapped his arm around her waist as they continued kissing. Sara broke the kiss when Nick's stomach rumbled again. "Let's get something to eat, we can save this for dessert."  
  
Nick chuckled. "I like how you think, babe."  
  
They pulled themselves off the bed where they had fallen asleep fully clothed and wandered into the kitchen. Sara pulled open the fridge and glanced at Nick. "You don't shop much do you?"  
  
He smiled and wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her cheek. "There's a frozen veggie lasagna in the freezer."  
  
They put the lasagna in the oven and decided to watch 'Miracle on 34th Street' on TV. Sara snuggled against Nick and about halfway through the movie, they'd forgotten about it as they had gotten lost in kissing and touching each other. As the credits of the movie rolled up the screen, the phone rang.  
  
Reluctantly, Nick pulled away from Sara and grabbed the phone. "Nick Stokes." He grinned at Sara. "Hey, Natalie. Merry Christmas to you too." He laughed softly. "Yeah, she's here. Uh, Sara's got something to tell you." He kissed Sara lightly as he handed her the phone.  
  
Sara rested against Nick and grinned as she took the phone. "Hey, Natalie. Yeah, Merry Christmas to you too." She caressed Nick's face with her fingers as she talked to Natalie. "Uh, I just wanted to let you know that I got a really great Christmas present this morning. No, not another piece of jewelry. Actually, much better than jewelry." She giggled as Natalie kept throwing out guesses.  
  
Nick took the phone back. "Hey, Natalie, are you going to let Sara tell you?" He chuckled.  
  
Sara nodded at him and grinned.  
  
"I'll tell you then. We got married this morning." Nick couldn't wipe the grin off of his face.  
  
Sara could hear the scream over the phone.  
  
Nick held the receiver away from his ear and smiled at Sara. "I think my entire family just found out."  
  
He was right, in the next moment, his mom was on the phone. "Hey, Mom." Nick let out a deep breath as he listened to her. "I'm glad. We just didn't see a reason to wait."  
  
Sara raised a curious eyebrow at him. "What is she saying?"  
  
"Mom, Sara wants to talk to you." Nick handed her the phone. "She wants to throw a reception."  
  
Sara grinned. "Hi, Audrey."  
  
"Oh, Sara, we are so excited about you and Nicky. I'm not a bit surprised. I had a feeling at Thanksgiving that you'd be a permanent part of this family a lot sooner than anyone thought. Of course, we want to throw a reception for you both when you can find the time to get back out here to Dallas." Audrey Stokes sounded like her smile was almost equivalent to Nick and Sara's.  
  
"Thanks. By the way, Merry Christmas." Sara couldn't stop grinning. She had been worried that Nick's family might think they were rushing things a bit. However, knowing how long he'd been talking about her to them, she somehow wasn't surprised that they were happy they had married so quickly.  
  
"Merry Christmas, Sara, welcome to the family." Audrey replied.  
  
Nick and Sara were on the phone for another forty-five minutes, the lasagna now getting cold, as every member of the Stokes clan had gotten on the phone to offer their congratulations. Even Amanda who had been vehemently against Nick's relationship with Sara, congratulated them.  
  
When they finally hung up the phone, they chuckled and collapsed against each other.  
  
Nick observed. "That went better than I thought it would. They love you, Sara, just like I said they would."  
  
"Even Amanda seems to have come around." Sara replied softly.  
  
Nick's stomach rumbled again.  
  
Sara glanced up at him. "Let's eat, husband."  
  
He grinned at her. "Ok."  
  
They reheated the lasagna and ate it in relative silence as they grinned at each other. After they finished the meal, Nick took the dishes into the kitchen.  
  
Sara grinned at him. "I have a surprise for you."  
  
Nick raised his eyebrows curiously. "Really?"  
  
She nodded mischievously. "Stay out here. I'll tell you when you can come in." Sara grinned seductively as she disappeared into the bedroom.  
  
Nick grinned as he finished up the dishes trying to imagine what Sara had in store for him. He was quite aroused just thinking about it as he heard Sara calling him.  
  
"You can come in now, baby." Sara's voice was sultry.  
  
Nick turned the lights off in the living room and kitchen as he made his way to the bedroom. As he opened the door, his senses were in overdrive. Sara had placed candles around the bedroom and they illuminated her beautifully. She lay seductively on her side clad in something that Nick could only describe as lacy and sexy as hell.  
  
"I've been saving this for something special." Sara grinned at him as he drank her in with his eyes.  
  
He just stood there his mouth agape and didn't say a word. The telltale bulge in the front of his pants told Sara all she needed to know.  
  
"I take it you like it." Sara chuckled softly and pulled herself off the bed and walked toward him.  
  
Finally, Nick found his voice. "You are so beautiful." He pulled Sara against him and their lips met with a jolt of electricity.  
  
Sara pulled at the hem of his sweater and they stepped apart long enough for her to help Nick pull it over his head. As they resumed the kiss, Sara reached down to unfasten the button on his slacks and lower the zipper.  
  
Nick quickly stepped out of his slacks and pulled her against him again, trailing kisses down her neck, his tongue carving a deliciously excruciating path along her throat, as his hands slid down and cupped her butt through the barely there fabric.  
  
Sara moaned in response, and they stumbled back toward the bed, her fingers sliding beneath the fabric of his boxers as she slid them off. She pulled Nick onto the bed with her as she lay back.  
  
He covered her body with his and began to explore it beneath the lacy fabric until he'd finally removed all of the barriers between them.  
  
Their hands and mouths touched, explored, tasted, and teased each other's bodies, finally joining together in what could only be described as ultimate marital bliss. 


	29. Firsts

"So, Nick, how's married life treating you?" Catherine grinned at the younger CSI as they processed the scene of the latest homicide in Vegas.  
  
He grinned. "No complaints from me. I still can't believe I got her to marry me."  
  
Catherine chuckled. "Valentine's Day is next week. Do you have anything planned yet?"  
  
Nick glanced up and smiled. "You know, that's why I like working with you, you save my ass."  
  
"Don't wait too long, Nicky, especially if you're planning on buying her flowers." Catherine chided him gently.  
  
Nick turned his attention back to the carpet he was examining for trace material. "Actually, I have a plan. Sara loves lilacs, so I'm having some lilac bushes planted in the yard for her."  
  
"Nick." Catherine began.  
  
"In addition to the roses that I've already ordered for her." He flashed her a grin.  
  
Catherine laughed. "Ok, you don't need to be reminded. Maybe I should be reminding Sara."  
  
"I don't need anything for Valentine's Day, I have her." Nick picked up a piece of stray fabric on the carpet. "Hey, can you hand me a bindle?"  
  
April 15th  
  
"Damn, I hate filing taxes." Sara muttered under her breath as she poured over the tax form one last time before signing it.  
  
"Hey, it's going to be easier from here on out, I'm sure that filing jointly the first time is always a little strange." Nick assured her, planting a kiss on her cheek.  
  
After she signed the form, Nick followed suit and they stopped by the local copy shop to make a few copies before taking their tax return to the post office to mail. As they made their way back to the house, Nick glanced over at her. "Want to rent a movie?"  
  
She grinned at him and nodded. "Yeah, something funny and romantic. I need to relax a little, otherwise our night off is kind of wasted."  
  
He pulled into the parking lot of Blockbuster video and they walked the aisles holding hands and looking for a movie to watch. They finally settled on 'The Wedding Planner'.  
  
They settled themselves on the couch with a bowl of popcorn and a bottle of wine. As the movie progressed, they became less and less interested in it and more and more interested in each other as articles of clothing slowly made their way to the floor as they made love.  
  
Tangled together on the couch completely naked, Sara ruffed Nick's hair as he lay on top of her. "We should rent movies more often."  
  
He chuckled and planted a kiss on her neck. "I don't think we've watched an entire movie since we've been married."  
  
She traced his jaw line with her finger. "Well, it's a good thing we don't go to the theater, I have a feeling we'd be arrested for indecent exposure."  
  
Nick couldn't help but laugh. "My wife, the realist." He planted another kiss on her neck and began to nibble on her ear.  
  
Sara pushed Nick away slightly, causing him to look down at her curiously. "Do you think we could move this encore into the bedroom, it's a little cold out here?"  
  
Nick waggled his eyebrows at her and pulled himself off of her, drinking her appearance appreciatively and scooping her up in his arms.  
  
Sara let out a squeal and then started to giggle as Nick carried her into the bedroom and deposited her on the bed, crawling onto it after her. They climbed under the covers and snuggled close together as they began to fan the flames of passion again.  
  
Mid-June:  
  
"Did you call your dad yet, Nick?" Sara queried him as she leaned back into the couch sipping a cup of herbal tea.  
  
He glanced up at her and flashed her a grin from where he sat on the floor reading the sports page of the Sunday paper. "Oh, yeah, it's Father's Day."  
  
Sara picked up the cordless phone and tossed it to him.  
  
As Nick talked to his dad, Sara disappeared into the other room. She returned just as he was finishing up the call with a small bag in her hand and sat on the floor next to him, snaking her arms around his waist and resting her head on his shoulder.  
  
Nick ended the call and set the phone on the floor, turning his attention to Sara. "Did you call your dad, babe?"  
  
She chuckled and shook her head. "Frank doesn't really get off on holidays anymore than he likes me calling him dad. I told you my parents are weird, Nick."  
  
He pulled her against him and grinned. "Then how did you turn out so normal?"  
  
"Two negatives make a positive." She smiled and leaned in to kiss him.  
  
"Always the scientist." Nick mumbled against her lips as he lay back, pulling her on top of him. They became lost in kissing each other for a while, eventually, Nick rolled them over so he rested on top of her, his hand began sliding up her shirt.  
  
Sara stopped his hand, immediately getting his attention. He looked at her quizzically. She just grinned. "I've got a surprise for you."  
  
Nick tilted his head slightly. "Really?"  
  
She nodded. "Uh, huh."  
  
He leaned down and kissed her again. As he pulled away he raised an eyebrow. "Am I going to like it?"  
  
Sara giggled. "I think so." She gestured toward the bag she'd brought into the living room with her. "Open it."  
  
Without letting her up, he reached over and grabbed the bag. "This?"  
  
She nodded. "That's it."  
  
Nick chuckled, wondering if she'd bought another piece of lingerie, as she had done several times since they'd been married. He reached his hand in and instead of feeling silky or lacy fabric, he felt terry cloth. His confident smile turned to a quizzical expression as he fished out the contents of the bag. He glanced at Sara who studied him while biting her lower lip nervously. He glanced back at what he now held in his hand and it took him a moment to absorb what it was.  
  
His eyebrows shot up and a myriad of expression crossed his face as he turned back to Sara who was smiling with one eyebrow raised waiting for his response. Nick's voice faltered and he began to stutter. "Are you? Is that? We are? You? Me? Really?"  
  
Sara giggled and nodded. "Happy Father's Day, Nick."  
  
Nick grinned as he let go of the baby bib that read 'I love my daddy' and kissed Sara long and deep, touching her abdomen in wonder. Against all the doctor's predictions, Sara was pregnant with his child. 


	30. Epilogue

Epilogue:  
  
It had been a long day.  
  
Christmas.  
  
Nick and Sara's first anniversary.  
  
The day had brought some wonderful gifts. Nick's family had decided to spend the holiday in Vegas with Nick and Sara. That was no small task considering the vast size of his family and the fact that Sara was almost nine months pregnant.  
  
By noon, Sara was exhausted and had decided to take a nap. That was quickly cut short as she began to experience sharp pains in her abdomen. She had managed to pull herself out of bed and waddle back out into the living room, where all eyes were on her as a panicked look had crossed her face. "Nick." There was a waver in her voice that had spurned him into action.  
  
By five that afternoon, Brianna Noel Stokes was born. The miracle baby that the doctors had told Sara she'd never have rested in her arms as Nick looked on with tears in his eyes.  
  
And as the sun went down on Vegas that night, all was well with this little family.  
  
~*~The End~*~  
  
A/N: Brianna, thanks for all your beta reviews. Very much appreciated. Like the surprise at the end? (  
  
To everyone else, thank you, thank you, thank you for reading and reviewing.  
  
One extra note: yes, I did say she couldn't have kids earlier in the story, but doctors are not always right. 


End file.
